


Usurped

by shadow_oblivion



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bickering, Blood and Injury, Developing Relationship, Drunken Flirting, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Heart Pirates protective of Law, M/M, Mayhem, Mentions of Slavery, More angst, Penguin is a badass fighter, Physical Abuse, Rescue Missions, Sarcasm, Self-Destruction, Smut, and vice versa, riling one another up, staring contest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-07
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2018-06-01 06:18:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 143,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6504220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadow_oblivion/pseuds/shadow_oblivion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kidd hated to be ignored, so when Law gave him the cold shoulder, he decided to fix that by issuing a challenge. He'd only been half-serious when making it, which made Law accepting it very unexpected. After that, unresolved problems surface, and Law's crew is determined to help their captain with those problems. Which left Kidd to wonder just what he'd gotten himself in to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The sole reason this fic even exists is because one day I was wondering if the skin around Kidd's scars were sensitive. And then Law was added in and this became a kidlaw AU within the canon setting.
> 
> FYI, this is a revised version of the fic that's on ffn, so expect delays as this is caught up to where the ffn one is (I'm hoping that in posting revised chapters, I'll be inspired to eventually update with a new chapter).
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing from One Piece.

Eustass Kidd found that while the new world offered a variety of challenges, anything noteworthy of his attention was incredibly sparse. Because of that, Kidd often found himself with a lot of free time, and nothing to do but seethe on his ship at the lack of activity. Some days it was a chore to keep his temper reined in until something interesting came along.

It was only after another string of disappointingly boring days that something finally caught his attention. Kidd just hadn't realized at the time that he was about to involve himself in quite a different kind of encounter than he was used to.

-x-

Kidd glowered ferociously around at the assorted group of cutthroats in the tavern. Their bright, merry chatter was beginning to grate on his nerves. Kidd hunched sullenly over a tankard of some swill that was absolutely vile, thinking dark and violent thoughts. He was currently in a highly destructive mood, and the only reason he hadn't begun to kill the people around him was because Killer had managed to convince him it would be a very bad idea.

For now.

Kidd sneered and pushed the disgusting drink away, not caring when one of his very shitfaced crewmates scooped it up and downed it amid a lot of good natured heckling. Kidd stiffened as a pirate from another crew bumped into him as they passed behind, and he clenched his right hand into a fist. Nope. No matter what Killer had said, there was no other way around it. He _was_ going to murder someone tonight. It was just a matter of time, and that time was apparently now, as the drunk had bumped up against Kidd's back again.

Just as the red haired captain was about to seize the unfortunate drunk by the throat, someone lightly gripped his shoulder. Kidd swung his fist around at the unwanted touch, only to have the hand on his shoulder snap up and hold the limb fast. The redhead's target changed instantly, the drunken man forgotten. Kidd flexed his trapped hand, and that was when the person that had bothered him decided to speak.

"Stop, Kidd. The marines are checking this place regularly, looking for trouble to start."

Kidd relaxed minutely when he recognized that the voice belonged to Killer, and snorted as he freed his hand from his crewmate's grasp. "Who the fuck cares about the marines? This island's neutral territory, ain't it?"

"That doesn't mean that they won't use a sudden brawl as an excuse to exert their authority. Especially if that fight were to involve someone with as high a bounty as yours." Killer kept his tone reasonable, as if the long haired pirate hoped that his captain could keep his temper under control, at least until they left the tavern. Dead bodies were greatly frowned upon in a public establishment, and it would mean even more bodies to get away, than if one were to kill someone in the alleys.

Kidd laughed mirthlessly as he stole a bottle of wine from Wire, who was seated on the other side of the table. Kidd took a swig from the bottle, "Bastards. I'd kill 'em all if they started anything. I'm bored anyway." Kidd waved the bottle in the air as he glanced over at Killer with a grin, "Nobody'd cry if a few of them turned up dead in the streets, would they?"

Killer hated the fact that he could read his captain's mood, but it made it easier to try and defuse the red head's temper when caught early. It was exhausting to deal with Kidd when nothing stimulating had happened in the past few days. All the excitement had happened nearly a week ago.

“Those jackasses that’d die would have deserved it anyway.  Like the asshole that laughed at me the other day.”  The red haired pirate captain continued as he drank more of the wine.  “He wasn’t laughing any more when I buried him in scrap metal.”

Killer tuned his captain out momentarily when the tavern doors opened.  The blond haired pirate had decided that he would need to be one of the cautious ones, since his captain and the rest of the crew seemed intent on getting themselves into a drunken stupor while having a good time. And Killer was fine with that, so long as none of them drew the attention of the marines, but when it came to Kidd, the blond wasn’t as certain that the red headed pirate could control himself if something set him off.

There was some laughter that came from the group of people that had entered the tavern, and all of them appeared to be wearing similarly styled clothing.  And each of the people that came in had similar marks on their chests with a rather familiar jolly roger.

Killer set his bowl down and side glanced at Kidd, even if the other wouldn’t even notice that he had done so do to the mask he wore. When Killer had ascertained that Kidd was not paying attention to the newcomers in the least bit, the blond haired pirate went back to studying the chattering group of pirates.  Killer recognized the Jolly Roger the others wore, and the fact that all of them, more or less, wore a hat of some kind.  And there was no way that Killer did not recognize the leader of the group with that nodachi casually propped up against one of his shoulders.

Trafalgar Law.

The blond haired Kidd pirate had a sense of dread rise within him as Law and what looked like most of his crew settled down a few tables away. The dread Killer felt wasn't due to the idea of getting into a fight, but rather his captain's reaction to the sight of the Heart Pirate captain. Kidd had seemed particularly grumpy as of late, more so than was usual for the red head, and was liable to destroy something within reach whenever the dark haired surgeon was mentioned. Killer and the rest of the crew hadn't quite figured out why the mere mention of Law's name drove their captain into a furious rage.  It was something no one had bothered to bring up the response to the other captain because at those times Kidd seemed like he just wanted to pick a fight or crush something.

No one wanted to take the chance, even if most of Kidd’s crew were overly curious why their captain would even care to get upset over someone like Law.

Killer thought it would be in everyone's best interest if he could get Kidd to go to the upper floor of the tavern. But Killer knew it was useless as soon as he saw that Law had caught sight of Kidd. There was no hope of keeping the two from not noticing the other's presence now. Killer slipped away from the table to pull Wire and Heat aside. They did not want to draw attention to themselves with the marines peeking into the tavern on occasion. But with the inevitability of Kidd and Law catching a glimpse of one another, Killer needed to make sure some of the other Kidd pirates were sober enough to intervene should their captain decide to start a fight.

Which had a high probability of happening given the red haired pirate’s reactions to just hearing about Law’s escapades.  Kidd was liable to start a damn brawl in the tavern just to get a piece of the Heart Pirate, for whatever reasons the red head seemed to have.

Kidd didn't particularly give a damn that Killer had up and left, because it allowed him to contemplate murder and mayhem without his crewmate nagging him about discretion. Kidd swirled the wine in the bottle absently, his smile widening the more he thought about causing destruction. But it was dashed when he became aware of someone approaching him from behind, and that successfully distracted him from his thought.  It obviously wasn't some no name pirate, because the red head had realized that his crew had fallen silent. Weird, but he didn't care enough to look over his shoulder. Kidd was about to take another drink from the bottle, when said bottle was plucked from his grasp. Kidd let out an indignant growl at the loss, but the voice that spoke up threw him for a loop.

"Eustass-ya."

Kidd turned slightly to glare at the Heart Pirate captain, not amused in the least. He stopped short with a comeback when he realized that Law lacked any kind of a smile. The two of them made brief eye contact, but Kidd was utterly taken aback when Law merely took the bottle of wine with him and went to join his crew a few tables away. What the fuck? Kidd twisted further in his seat so that he could stare at Law, who seemed to be pointedly ignoring him after the curt greeting. Kidd didn't appreciate it one bit, or the fact that Law was wearing a glum expression, like someone had died.  It pissed Kidd off for some reason. The red haired captain had expected a smug smirk for succeeding in taking the wine from him, and for the Heart Pirate's voice to be a little condescending. It had been flat instead, like Law just couldn't be bothered to put any effort into it.

But back to being ignored.

It didn't sit well with Kidd at all, because he knew that it was damn near impossible to overlook him from his muscular body structure and height alone. And the fact that he tended to leave a trail of destruction behind him if someone had ticked him off and he decided to take issue with it.  Kidd found himself irritated that he was even bothered by the fact that Trafalgar was giving him the cold shoulder. The red head had no good reason for why it bothered him so much to be ignored by the other captain, but it was there all the same.

Kidd scanned the area briefly, and realized that the marines were still stealing glances into the tavern. Kidd made a grunt of annoyance. So starting a scuffle right now would be useless, since it wouldn't last very long without some interference. Not to mention he was in no mood to have Killer nag him needlessly. The red haired captain stole a glance at Law again. Kidd still felt that he had to do something to get back at Trafalgar, so he did the next best thing that he believed might draw a reaction. Kidd stared. Very intently and with a scowl of displeasure to show just how he felt at being snubbed.

“What are you doing, Kidd?”

The red haired pirate ignored Killer’s whispered question, and instead kept his eyes trained on Law.  Kidd didn't know how long he stared, but it must have been for quite some time, because instead of just fixing Law with a glare, he had started to study the other. The dark haired pirate had a slightly different hat than before when they’d met in Sabaody, and he currently wore some weird hybrid sweater with feathers.

_Feathers._

For some reason this struck Kidd as hilarious and the corner of his mouth curled in a faint grin.  Why the hell would someone wear a sweater with feathers?  It seemed like it would be hard to clean.  Kidd’s grin deepened as he entertained the thought of Law getting unceremoniously dropped into a bath to get him to clean his clothes.  Kidd would have killed anyone that tried to do that kind of thing to him.  He disliked having to even shower because it fucked with his Devil Fruit powers.

Why Kidd was thinking such things didn’t concern him right now as long as it was amusing.  Kidd resumed letting his eyes rove over the other pirate, as he figured it still counted as staring at him.  The sweater, Kidd noticed, had the man’s Jolly Roger over the chest.  Kidd wondered if Law had it on all of his clothes, and grinned some more when he realized that the whole crew had the Jolly Roger somewhere on their clothes.  And even though Kidd couldn’t tell from where he was seated, he figured that Law had those weird spotted jeans of some sort with shoes that had an unnecessary heel.  Maybe Law just liked to make himself a bit taller to be better able to look down on others or some shit like that.

“Kidd?”

“Not right now.” The red head muttered back.  He had found some form of entertainment, and he didn’t want Killer to ruin his fun.  But Kidd did go back to staring at Law’s face, and after a few minutes, noticed something.

The dark haired Heart Pirate captain still wasn’t smiling.

Kidd found it a little odd that Law didn't once crack a smile around his crewmates, even though they were making a loud nuisance of themselves, just like his own crew was doing around him. It was strange. Maybe Law had changed in the past two years since he'd last seen him. Well, Kidd supposed he'd seen Law an image of him in a cage with Straw Hat and some others on Punk Hazard, but that didn't exactly count.  Mostly because he didn’t stare too much at the time to get a good look at any of them other than to figure out whom they were.

Kidd's efforts of single mindedly watching Law seemed to be paying off, because the Heart Pirate captain finally seemed to realize he was being stared at. Kidd offered a satisfied grin when the two of them made eye contact. He was a little disappointed when Law just looked away, his deadpan expression still firmly in place. Kidd settled back against the table as he spread his arms out comfortably on the table top, which drew forth protests from his crew as he upset their plates of food and drink. Kidd didn't particularly give a fuck as he stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles. He'd found something amusing to do to pass the time.

It soon became clear that Law wasn't as entertained with the attention as Kidd was.

It started out nearly unnoticeable, with a few irritated looks thrown the redhead's way as a poor attempt to get the other to stop staring at him. Law then began to glare in return at brief intervals, in what was an attempt to get him to stop, but Kidd's dogged determination to get some sort of rise out of the Heart Pirate won out in the end.

After what must have been an hour of constant leering, Kidd was ridiculously pleased that he'd finally gotten the Heart Pirate to crack. The red head saw Law look across the table at him, and his expression, which had been neutral, was now a delightful combination of ire and exasperation as he flipped him off. Law obviously wondered why the other pirate captain been staring at him for such a long time without a word.

Kidd took it that he had won whatever kind of contest they had gotten into, and responded accordingly, since he had Law's attention. Kidd smirked triumphantly, before he childishly stuck out his tongue. He'd accomplished what he'd set out to do, and Law's reaction to his juvenile act was worth it. Not only had he gotten the Heart Pirate to notice him, he'd gotten the other to get up out of his seat. Kidd eyed him challengingly, waiting to see what Law would do.

Law lifted his left hand, his eyes locked on Kidd, the dark haired pirate’s grip on the nodachi in his right hand tight as he gritted out a single word, "Room."

Kidd lurched out of his lounged position, as Law was suddenly a whole lot closer, and not at all happy. He also had his nodachi drawn, and that alone told Kidd that something was up. Kidd swiftly ducked and heard the Heart Pirate's blade as it whipped over his head. Kidd grinned as he reached up and gripped the end of the nodachi as it changed directions and went back right for his head again.

“Let go of my nodachi, Eustass-ya.”  Law’s voice was taut.

“Nah, I don’t think I will.  You’ll just try to chop me into pieces.”  Kidd dared to lift the blade to his lips to give it a lick, just to see Law’s reaction.  “How many people have you killed with this?  The blade seems a bit long to do any good chopping of limbs.  Without your powers, I guess.”

“Perhaps you will save me time by letting go and holding still?”  Law mused as he tested the grip Kidd had on the nodachi. “I thought perhaps I would take your head and put it somewhere so that I will not have to be stared at by it.”

“That’s better.  I thought you were being a bit boring before.”  Kidd grinned and held the blade more tightly with his artificial left hand.    “Why don’t you give it a try?”

Law narrowed his eyes at the obvious challenge before he lifted his free hand and muttered something.  Then the dark haired pirate was gone, blade and all.  For some reason Kidd held a bottle of wine that hadn’t been there before.

Kidd started at the odd sight, but had enough sense to duck again as Law was suddenly behind him and intent on the whole separating his head from his body thing.  Kid knew that Law was a twisted bastard. He’d just needed to push the right buttons to get him out of the moping he’d obviously been doing.  And Law moping around was a boring and damn near depressing sight.  The red haired captain batted aside another strike aimed for him, and through sheer dumb luck managed to not get his artificial limb sliced through, unlike the table behind him.

“Shit.”  Kidd said, though it was more appreciative than anything as he sidestepped another blade swing from Law.  Kidd started to grin.  This was just what the red haired captain needed to make a mundane day that much more interesting. Kidd twitched his right hand, ready for the sudden brawl as he started to call on his own Devil Fruit powers.  Kidd felt like he might be able to at least trap Law in some scrap metal, and decided that would be his goal for the end of this fight.  Mainly because it would piss Law off and get him to fight him some more if he could free himself.

What Kidd didn't realize that his own crew was going to ruin his fun before it really had a chance to get to the good part. Kidd's first clue was the fact that Law stopped mid swing. The second hint that the abrupt clash was over before it had even begun was a change in the Heart Pirate's expression. The dark frown that had been there before had changed into a very faint, genuine smile that reached his eyes.

“It seems that we are going to have to settle this another time, Eustass-ya.”  Law said simply as he sheathed his blade.

That smile Law still wore made Kidd stumble to a halt himself, momentarily sidetracked. Before he could wonder why a faintly smiling Law was so distracting, Kidd's crew pounced.

“What the fuck?”  Kidd snarled as Killer, Wire and Heat were suddenly upon him, and that caused the items that he had started to draw in to clatter to the ground and table amidst confused murmurs of the other people in the room.  “Hey!  I wasn’t finished with him yet.”  The red haired pirate protested, even as he was forced toward the tavern exit, his crew trying their hardest to keep him from lunging back at Law.  Kidd tired very hard to accomplish just that since the Heart Pirate captain was still nearby, at least until Killer managed to get an arm around his neck and all but dragged him along.  Apparently, Kidd hadn’t been going fast enough, and it was likely due to the sight of the marines gathering outside that the blond haired pirate felt they had to get out.

Kidd's last glimpse of Law was the sight of the Heart Pirate as he gave him a smug little smirk before the door closed.  And then the red head focused on cursing his head off as he was herded off in the direction of the inn that he and his crew were staying at for the night. Kidd let out a few more choice curses, a little louder than before, when he finally shrugged off a few of his crew mates, and then freed himself from the headlock that Killer had had him in. The red head rounded on his crew mate with a scowl, not at all pleased that his authority had been challenged. The rest of the crew had wisely slunk off by now, as none of them really wanted to be on the receiving end of Kidd's anger.  There was an unspoken agreement amongst the crew that the only one who could deal with their captain in such a state was Killer, and the blond pirate proved it time and again when he came out unscathed from Kidd throwing a fit of some kind.

Killer stood his ground, and his voice was that of a person not at all amused, "I suppose you didn't notice the marines running off, did you?"

“I was a bit busy.”  Kidd shot his crewmate a glare as he moodily sulked about his fight with Law being interrupted. He had, however, noticed the amount of marines that had come back to the tavern.

Killer merely crossed his arms and waited.

“Shit, yeah, I saw them. But who the fuck cares?  I could have taken them out too if they’d done anything.”  Kidd grunted out eventually, obviously not seeing the problem. One marine or ten didn't make a difference to him if it had meant he got to relieve his boredom.

Killer didn't attempt to explain things, as it seemed that his captain was still fuming, and would therefore be unreceptive to reason. "You can deal with us tomorrow if you want, but try to cool off and think before you do something like that again. We wouldn't have been able to get supplies tomorrow if you'd started a fight with the marines tonight. We would have had to get off the island before more of them showed up."

Kidd scowled at Killer, but didn't say anything as he pointedly looked away.

Killer figured that meant he was being dismissed. He turned and headed down the hall to his room, "Don't go back to the tavern, Kidd. We really do need the supplies. We're short on everything."

"Don't fucking tell me what to do, Killer." Kidd hissed dangerously as he watched the other pirate disappeared into the room. The door closed with a click. Kidd glowered at the door, not sure which one of them had been dismissed. Still in a very irritable mood, the red head prowled a few paces to the room where he would be sleeping, and slammed the door shut behind him for good measure.

Kidd didn't care at all if it happened to be an immature act.

-x-

Trafalgar Law had gone back to the table where his crewmates were settled, and ignored the curious looks they threw his way. The Heart Pirate captain took a few sips of wine, pointedly ignoring a sudden influx of marines as he thought about what the hell Kidd thought he had been doing. Why had he been staring at him like that for so long?

Law took a few more gulps of wine. At first, it had seemed like Kidd was making fun of him, but when he continued to do it without much change of expression other than a leer, Law couldn't help but find himself wondering why. Surely Kidd would have figured out what kind of state he was in after last week. The red head had to have been reading the newspaper, but as it was Kidd, Law wouldn't be surprised if he only skimmed it. Law wasn't sure why the gaze bothered him, but it was obviously some twisted game to Kidd. The Heart Pirate figured that was the case, because as soon as he'd looked Kidd in the eye, the other had seemed ridiculously pleased with himself. When Law had finally cracked a smile at the sight of Kidd being herded off like a misbehaving child, he'd been taken aback that the other captain seemed to be stunned.

Law snuck some more alcohol from Shachi, and flicked his gaze in the direction that Kidd had gone. He wondered why the scarred man had looked at him like that. The staring had been so intent that it had begun to make Law rather…

"Captain? Law? Can I have my drink back?"

Law studied the absconded drink. He was a little curious about the other captain's intentions, but it was a complication that Law wasn't sure that he wanted to have. He was tired out from last week's events, and he wasn't fully recovered from his injuries. Law's gaze was drawn back to the tavern exit unwillingly, his expression settling into one of thoughtful contemplation.

“Law?”

The dark haired pirate returned the drink he’d taken, before he grabbed the nearest bottle of wine and drank.  As soon as he carelessly set the bottle back down, Law didn’t notice some of the concerned looks that his crewmates gave him, although it was likely because he’d rested a hand over one of his shoulders with a faint grimace of pain.  With a sigh, Law dropped his hand and stood with a slight sway, and made as if to leave.  At least until a hand reached out and gripped his nearest forearm.

“Are you going to get back to the ship all right?”  Penguin questioned, and even though the hat hid his expression, from the sound of his voice he doubted it.

“I was going to go to the inn.”  Law said after a moment, before he freed his arm.  “We’ll leave in the morning.”

Penguin watched Law as he tottered off along the tables and toward the front doors of the tavern.

“You think that he will be all right?”  Shachi asked as he watched their captain leave.

“We will call him in the morning to make sure.  Remember, he did this on the last island we were on and we found him passed out on a bed.”  Penguin said as he returned to his meal.  But the Heart Pirate found that his gaze continued to be drawn to the exit, and couldn’t help but wonder why Law had reacted in such a way to Eustass Kidd of all people.

“You don’t think that Kidd will try and find him to start a fight?”  Shachi asked.

“I don’t believe that they were trying to kill one another, but I don’t think we have to worry about them crossing paths.  Kidd’s crew certainly seemed to be intent on keeping their captain from fighting.  And Law knows we need supplies, so no, I don’t think that they will.”  Penguin said after a moment’s thought.  “But we can have some of the crew take turns keeping watch in town in case something does happen, and then..”

“…we leave in the morning?”  Shachi finished.

“As soon as Law returns to the ship.”  Penguin agreed with a nod.  “He’s wanted space so we should let him have it whenever he needs it.”

“I hope he’ll be all right.”  Shachi fell silent as he took a sip of his drink, his expression troubled. 

The Heart Pirate crew would find another reason to be worried about their captain the following morning when he didn’t pick up their calls, though not for the reasons that they’d originally had.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling a little meh with revisions, (except for this chapter) so those may come after I get everything caught up. Like additional scenes (perhaps in this chapter). There will be little bits of info here and there, however. I did get some inspiration to write a new chapter, so that'll get posted when I get around to typing it out.

After nearly starting an all-out brawl in the nearby tavern in the city, Kidd supposed that he was ready to go to bed. He wasn't exactly tired, but he was fairly certain that, despite the consequences, his crew _would_ gang up on him again if he left the room. Kidd sprawled on the bed in a moody manner, sighing in a somewhat dramatic fashion. Really, it wasn't like he was trying to kill someone in the tavern. Well, he'd been thinking about it, before Law had shown up. Then he'd merely made it a point to make sure that the Heart Pirate wouldn't ignore him for long.

The red head grumbled something under his breath as he stared up at the ceiling. He supposed it was his fault for starting the exchange, by staring at the Heart Pirate for so damn long. Kidd had really just been scowling at him, because he'd taken offense to Law all but ignoring his presence. Kidd didn't know how the hell it was his fault for trying to get into a fight with Trafalgar. He'd practically been begging for it with the way he'd been acting toward him.

Kidd scowled at the memory of his crew herding him away from the Heart Pirates, and specifically Law. It hadn't helped that Trafalgar had sent him a smug smile at the sight of him being carted off. Kidd would get Law back for this, especially at the thought of the skinny bastard still dining with his crew and likely drinking all the booze. Kidd sneered, but decided that it just wasn't worth it to try and sneak out of the inn to go back to the tavern. He didn't need another humiliation so soon, as he was fairly certain his crew would haul him back, whether he liked it or not. No matter what threats he hurled. Kidd was beginning to grow even more peeved now that he had cooled off. He hated it when Killer was right, but didn't feel bad about snapping at him, because he had needed to make a point of who was in charge.

Kidd decided any more thought would send him flying back into irrational anger, so he decided that it would be a good time to try and drift off. And that was when his room's door was unceremoniously shoved open, by none other than Law. Kidd sat up slightly, sleep suddenly far from his mind as he watched the dark haired pirate shut the door with a careless push of his hand. Kidd watched with interest at the sight, even as Law swayed a little, before the other captain leaned up against the door.

“Eustass-ya?”  The Heart Pirate asked when he noticed Kidd.  As if Law hadn’t expected him to be there.

Kidd was upright on the bed almost instantly, his body tensed. He was immediately suspicious about the Heart Pirate's sudden appearance, even if it seemed as if the other pirate had just entered the wrong room.  At least, that was what the red head thought. Sure, Kidd wasn't surprised to see Law, since both their crews were apparently staying in the city for the night. But after the near fiasco that had happened between them earlier at dinner, Kidd was rather surprised that the other captain was in his room at all. Not that the red head was bothered by the other's presence. Kidd decided to act disinterested, for now. He was still a little grouchy about being ignored earlier, "What the fuck do you want, Trafalgar?" Kidd clenched his right hand into a fist, thinking that a fight didn't seem like such a bad idea. He couldn't get to sleep anyway, so he might as well have a little fun.

Law started at being addressed, and he shakily turned his head as he braced himself against the door. “Why are you in my room?”  The Heart Pirate’s voice was slightly slurred as his eyes met Kidd's.

“What the fuck are you talking about? This is my inn room.”  Kidd knew because he’d broken the damn lamp on the nightstand next to the bed.  The remains of the lamp had been brushed to the side before he’d gone to the tavern, and so long as he was out of there before the inn staff checked, it wasn’t his problem.  “And why the hell are you talking like that?” 

Law’s expression was unreadable as he appeared to digest the information that Kidd had given him.  Or perhaps he was just staring blankly at the wall past the red haired pirate. 

Kidd snorted something under his breath and wondered if the other pirate captain was going to get his ass out of there or not.

Apparently Law had come to some internal decision, because the dark haired pirate stumbled forward away from the door so that he was closer to the bed and Kidd. The Heart Pirate paused a foot or so away, seemingly unaware that Kidd was tensed and ready for them to continue their interrupted scuffle. Law stared fixedly at the red head for a moment, swaying a little. The Heart Pirate seemed to have wanted to say something, but before he could, he tripped.

Law let out an undignified yelp as he pitched forward, where he attempted to wrap his arms around Kidd's neck as he sought to steady himself. Instead, he all but collapsed against the red head's chest. Law's hands scrabbled for purchase against the other captain's back, his hands digging into the soft fabric of Kidd's coat. Law mumbled something inaudible, though he tensed almost immediately as arms wrapped around his back. Kidd had managed to prevent the Heart Pirate from knocking them both over onto the bed.

“What the hell was that?”  Kidd had not at all been expecting this, and took a moment to gloat at the fact that Law had fucking fell over. Kidd also took the time to enjoy the warmth against him, resting his chin on top of the Heart Pirate's head. Kidd was amused that Law's hands still dug into his coat, apparently alarmed that he was no longer on his feet as he had been moments before. Kidd ran his right hand absently down along Law's back, and found, to his horror, the clinging to be rather adorable. As soon as it registered in Kidd's mind that he held Law a little too closely, and in fact enjoyed that closeness, the red head hastily shoved the other captain away. Law and the word adorable should have never crossed Kidd’s mind, and the red head was faintly mortified that he had thought it in the first place. Kidd crossed his arms, sullen again. He was not getting into any touchy-feely crap with a rival captain. This had to be some kind of set-up; something to make him drop his guard.

Law had been pushed away with enough force that it sent him stumbling backwards. Kidd would have laughed at the sight, had it not been for the fact that the Heart Pirate looked upset about being all but tossed away. Kidd sneered as he hid whatever emotion might have otherwise shown on his face. Kidd then noticed that Law, once he was more or less stable on his own two feet, gave him an almost hurt look. That was weird. What the hell…? Kidd then realized what was going on. "Are you drunk?"  The red haired captain asked irritably, even if he knew Law was.  When the red head didn't receive an answer other than Law swaying in place, Kidd shook his head in disgust.

The dark haired pirate was definitely drunk, and Kidd briefly considered the idea of playing around with the other man when he was in such a state. Kidd cursed inwardly, as the more he thought about it, the more the idea of Law writhing under him and begging wasn't such a bad image. It would almost give him more gratification than a battle between them in such a small room. Most unfortunately, Kidd decided that he wasn't interested. Not right now. Screwing a drunken Law would give him no satisfaction, especially if the other captain didn't remember anything. Kidd looked Law over as he took in his rumpled appearance, pondering. While Kidd's mind slid to all the things he could do with Law, including a short brawl, the red head didn't realize that the Heart Pirate was apparently more offended than he thought.

An almost scowl crossed Law's features, mainly due to the fact that being shoved away seemed to mean the other didn't want him around. Kidd was the bastard that had been glowering at him for most of the evening. It had been infuriating, and the cause of the fight that had been started between them, before Kidd's crew had intervened.

Kidd's attention was drawn back to Law when the Heart Pirate finally spoke, with a bit of a slur, "Eustass-ya…I want you. Now. Wanna hear you beg."

Kidd had to laugh at that. The very thought of Law making him beg for anything was hilarious. "What the fuck? Like you could make me do anything, let alone beg." Kidd shook his head, amused. At the very least, this little encounter would give Kidd something to hold over the Heart Pirate as blackmail. Kidd quickly lifted his right arm up to place his hand against Law's chest, preventing the other from invading his personal space, "I ain't doing anything with you, ‘cause I bet you wouldn't even be able to get me to make a sound." Hell, when Kidd wasn't out causing death and destruction, _he_ would be the one that made his partner for the night beg and plead and scream. Not the other way around. Though the instances of one-night stands were very few, Kidd was confident that he would never stoop so low as to beg for anything from anyone.

"Can." Law mumbled, and as he swayed as the dark haired man trailed a few fingers along the hand pressed up against his shirt. Law appeared particularly interested in the black nail polish as he ran a finger over them. It was as if he found the nails to be the most fascinating thing in the world.

This was getting weirder by the minute, but Law's drunken antics were funny to Kidd, for the time being. Though when Law seized the hand against his chest and dragged it up to nip at the fingers, Kidd decided that he needed to set some boundaries, "All right, since you're obviously horny as fuck for some reason, I guess I can play for a bit." Kidd's jaw set as Law began trace a finger in small circles on his wrist, "You can't stick your hands anywhere below my waist, or kiss me on the lips. I bet that I won't make a sound, and then you can go and take care of yourself in the bathroom."

Incredibly childish but straight to the point. Kidd stared down his nose at Law, wondering what the hell could have possibly aroused the other captain while he was completely drunk. Kidd was fairly sure that even as inebriated as Law was, that the Heart Pirate would back down with the conditions he'd set. The red head was therefore utterly taken aback by Law's next words.

"All right."

"What?" Kidd hadn't expected that, and didn't even think to protest as Law pushed his hand away from his chest. Kidd snorted, unimpressed with the Heart Pirate already. He doubted that the other could overpower him, so this was already sad. Just what did Law think he could do? And that was when Law, apparently very impatient, shoved the other captain hard in the chest, with enough force that he fell backwards onto the bed. Kidd grinned as he propped himself up on his elbows, just as Law slid onto his lap. That was a little better, but not enough. He was sure that he'd win, as there was no way Law could make him…

Kidd nearly let out a breathless gasp as he felt Law bite him between his neck and shoulder, directly on one of his scars. Kidd clenched his hands into fists, "What the hell are you doing?!" The demand didn't come out as harshly as the red head would have liked. It had been more a quick exhale, shaky with shock. Kidd was faintly horrified that the bite made him wince, and not just in pain. Shit. Kidd squeezed his eyes shut as Law began to nip the skin around his scar, moving his attentions slowly to the next scar where the metal limb met the red head's flesh. Kidd fisted the bed sheets beneath him with his right hand, resisting the urge to dig the hand into Law's hair to keep him doing whatever the hell it was he was doing. The Heart Pirate was surprisingly coordinately for someone so intoxicated.

Law peeked out of the corner of his eyes, pleased when he caught sight of Kidd's closed eyes and his furrowed brow. He was obviously frustrated. The Heart Pirate's lips twisted into a faint smile as he delivered a quick and deliberate lick to the skin, which made Kidd squirm. Law shifted his attention to another scar that went partially over toward Kidd's sternum. The Heart Pirate could feel Kidd's muscles tensing under his touch, and a breathless groan emitted from the taller man at another quick nip to the skin. Law ginned tipsily, knowing that he had won. Kidd wasn't going to try and drive him away anymore. Law reached out his hand, and drew lazy circles along the scar on Kidd's right arm, determined to prove him wrong.

Kidd pressed his head back against the pillow, not bothering to try and keep himself upright anymore. He struggled to hold back what would no doubt have turned into an embarrassing moan, or worse, something akin to a mewl of pleasure.  Which should never be something to emit from the red head.  Ever. It was difficult, with Law all but straddling his stomach now and messing around with his damn scars. Kidd clenched his teeth. He was going to fucking kill Law for this. Kidd breathed through his nose as the other man started fucking teasing his chest, leaving his arm alone. Kidd supposed he couldn't exactly complain, since it had been him that had challenged Law in the first place. Kidd chanced a quick peek down though half open eyes, and noted with trepidation that Law was eyeing the scar that dipped below the waist of his pants. Kidd clenched the bed sheets tighter, letting out a low curse as Law slid down, straddling his legs now, which damn near made him jump. Kidd fixed the back of Law's head with a glare, and managed to issue a growl of warning, "Keep you fucking hands to yourself, Trafalgar."

"You said hands. Nothing about the rest of my body." Law shot Kidd a look, before pointedly sticking his tongue out at the other, like the red head had done in the tavern earlier. He did, however, keep his hands away from Kidd's waist, tracing the scar instead.

Kidd's metal arm twitched at that, considering swatting the son of a bitch, as he didn't appreciate Law making fun of him, drunk or not. Kidd wasn't sure if it was worse for Law to be touching his scars like that or not. Maybe he should have told him that he couldn't kiss him anywhere on his body, because apparently Law took it as an open invitation to try to drive him up the wall with just that. Kidd didn't think his skin had been so sensitive. It wasn't something he actively thought about or chose to test out.

Law reached out and braced his right hand on Kidd's metal left arm. It drew a bit of a look from the red head at the touch, but Law ignored it as he ran his left hand above the red head's waistline. He waited for Kidd to stop shifting, before he dipped his head down and started to leave sharp nips to the skin on and around the scar.

Kidd couldn't help but shiver. He had no words now, and could only hope that he didn't let loose any embarrassing noises, as Law was being quite thorough in his examination of the scar. Kidd writhed, mainly because the sneaky jerk had begun to trail a few fingers around the scar on his chest. Kidd was beginning to think that this bet wasn't fair anymore. Kidd's breath caught in his throat when Law began to bite in addition to flicking his tongue around the skin. Kidd couldn't stand it anymore when Law's left hand began to trace just above his waistline back and forth. Kidd finally caved in at that, unable to remain silent any longer.

A faint whine issued from the red head, as he felt Law continue to tease the sensitive skin around his scars. Kidd froze when he heard a soft chuckle rise from Law against his stomach. A barely noticeable blush crossed his face as Kidd realized that he had just fucking lost the bet. Damn skinny bastard. He wasn't going to be laughing for long. Kidd fisted the back of Law's shirt with his artificial limb and dragged him up so that he could look that Heart Pirate in the eye. What he saw didn't make him any happier, as something occurred to Kidd that he's been wondering about, "You're not really drunk, are you?"

Law clearly noted the dangerous, wild glint that had appeared in the other captain's eyes, and knew the game was up. "I'm only a little buzzed. I should be fully sober soon." Law admitted, and when Kidd fixed him with a crazed expression, the Heart Pirate added, "I suppose this means you want me to leave then?" The Heart Pirate probably expected Kidd to toss him off the bed at this point, as it seemed that the red headed captain was furious about his mostly faked intoxication. Or perhaps it was from the fact that he had made Kidd hot and bothered by teasing his skin. What Law hadn't anticipated was for Kidd to let out an incoherent snarl and use his metal limb to drag him closer. Law stilled in surprise when Kidd angled his head and crashed their lips together for a heated kiss. Yet another thing that he had had been unprepared for.

Kidd clasped the back of Law's head with his right hand to keep him from escaping, at least until he was done with him, and darted his tongue out across Law's lips. If the jackass was sober enough to tease him, he was going to get something out of this for being fooled.

The Heart Pirate made a close-mouthed laugh but refused to let Kidd take control. He'd already gotten over his initial surprise, and was quite content to continue, if only to tease Kidd some more.

Kidd was pissed, to say the least, especially since he had obviously caught the other off guard. Kidd's mind blanked for a moment when he felt one of Law's hands begin to trail gently along the scar that ran down the side of his face and down the neck. Kidd's eyes slipped close and he went a little limp. Law's fingers repeated the action, barely touching the skin yet at the same time applying enough pressure to make him shiver. Kidd finally couldn't help it as he let out a low moan. Fucking doctor and his nimble fingers. What the hell was he…?

Kidd only had a moment to register that Law had chuckled, before he felt the other captain strike. Kidd felt Law force his tongue into his mouth, and that was it for any attempt at dominance for the time being. Kidd felt Law slip a hand through his hair in an attempt to bring them closer, and the red head mumbled something into Law's mouth that the other apparently understood. The kiss had certainly gotten more intense at any rate. Kidd didn't even think to fight back, as he only attempted to join in on the kiss. Law wouldn't allow him to think straight, however, as he ran his tongue all over the inside of Kidd's mouth, and ended any further thought at all.

When the kiss finally broke, the two captains gasping for air, Kidd, breathing heavily, barely managed to keep himself upright on the bed. He stared at Law like he was insane, and said the first thing that came to mind, "Holy shit." The smile on Law's face was worth the loss of control, Kidd supposed, as he offered a lopsided grin in return. Kidd almost immediately lost his smile as Law rested his arms over his shoulders lightly, hands digging into the coat's fabric as he settled onto his lap. Kidd used his artificial limb to keep himself partially upright. The red head was now wearing a perplexed look, until Law leaned in close and tucked his head against the crook of his neck.

"Hey, stop, what are you…!" Kidd broke off as the Heart Pirate began to nip his way along the skin, and Kidd dropped his right hand to Law's back. Soon, the only sounds that could be heard were helpless groans and mumbles from Kidd, and faint, muffled laughter from Law as he teased the red head's skin mercilessly with kisses. Kidd wasn't sure how long it lasted, but he soon became aware that the Heart Pirate had stopped, and had drawn away from him slightly. Kidd blinked dazedly at Law, confused, though he scowled at the smirk aimed his way, "What?" Why the hell was he looking at him like that?

"You're almost cute, when you're not actively trying to start a fight or destroy something." Law commented vaguely.

Pointedly ignoring the cute part, which he wasn't, Kidd grumbled sulkily, "You cheated, going after my scars like that." The red head glowered at Law, not about to let the Heart Pirate get the better of him the whole time. At least, Kidd  thought he wouldn't, but Law had reached forward and begun to trail his hand along one of the aforementioned scars. The red head couldn't help but shudder and lean into the touch, even if it pissed him off at the same time.

"I thought the skin around your scars might be sensitive, but not this much." The tone of voice made it clear that Law found the sensitivity to be quite entertaining, as he dipped his hand lower. Still seated on the other's lap, it wasn't such a difficult task to complete.

A faint blush crossed Kidd's face, and he quickly seized Law's questing hand with his artificial one. He wasn't sure what he thought about all this, but he knew that he wasn't going to be on the receiving end of it the whole time. With a wolfish smirk, Kidd wrapped his other arm around the Heart Pirate's lower back, "And you don't have any sensitive spots?"

Law obviously figured out what Kidd had planned, and attempted to free himself, "Eustass-ya, I think that…"

Whatever Law thought could wait, as Kidd impatiently flipped the slightly shorter man onto the bed on his back. Before Law could right himself, Kidd flopped down onto the Heart Pirate, pinning him down. Kidd reached out and gripped Law's shirt, smirking, "You have too many clothes on, Trafalgar."

Law reached up and carelessly shoved Kidd's coat off his shoulders, his eyes taking on a dark and almost lusty look. Law reached up again and plucked Kidd's goggles off, tossing them onto one of the pillows. He then tugged at the smaller, open black shirt beneath his hands, "You do, too."

And that was when Kidd didn't care about pinning Law down, as the next few moments consisted entirely of the two pirate captains all but tearing off their clothes in an effort to beat the other, though Law was lagging behind as he made slow, precise movements.

Just as Law kicked off his pants, Kidd's weight fell over him, and the Heart Pirate had to have known in that instant that the other was quite happy to be where he was. Law wasn't sure about having gone commando that day, but Kidd didn't seem to have a problem with it. Though it was only because Penguin had lost the load of laundry the day before. Law settled back, figuring that he wasn't going to be allowed to move from where he was. Law couldn't help but smile a little at the childish grin of triumph Kidd wore while looking down at him.

Kidd leaned in as he held Law's arms down with his hands. The red head's grin deepened at the look Law was giving him, "My turn." Kidd stated simply, as he leaned over a little more and bit down on Law's shoulder, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the other man.

Law strained against Kidd's hands that were pinning his arms down, but failed. Law twitched a little, struggling to remain silent as the red head took his time leaving harsh bites here and there. Law supposed that he wasn't surprised with the treatment, as he had expected Kidd to be rougher. Law felt one on his arms freed, but didn't get to using it, as Kidd had just threaded his hand through his hair to drag him into another kiss. Law amused himself by refusing to allow Kidd to slip in some tongue again, chuckling faintly at the hiss of annoyance from the red head. That was something Law liked about Kidd. He was easy to rile up, and it could be quite entertaining for him. That was when Law noted that Kidd had started to smile against his lips, and it meant that he was up to something.

Law bit back a gasp as he felt one of Kidd's knees nudge him between the legs. Law stilled as Kidd ran his hands, while being careful with his left, up along his arms until they were at his shoulders. Law was confused, but couldn't say anything, as Kidd kept him locked in the kiss. What was he planning on doing? The Heart Pirate felt Kidd smirk against his lips again, and he didn't have time to prepare himself as Kidd dug his knee forward again. Law's silence shattered as he let out a moan, because Kidd had added a few slow circles with the motion this time around.

As soon as Kidd felt Law exhale, he slipped his tongue in past Law's lips. Kidd felt Law grip his elbows tightly, and he ignored the clinging for the moment, as he was determined to explore every inch of the other's mouth. Kidd was deeply disappointed when he needed to come up for air, and obviously Law was too. Especially since Kidd noted that the other's face was faintly flushed, and he was gasping for air and looking rather startled. The red head grinned smugly at Law's disheveled look, wondering if he thought that Kidd had never kissed anyone before. Kidd supposed he could see that. He was far more interested in fighting anyway, and any romps in the night were for letting out the aggression when there wasn't anything near enough to destroy. Kidd guessed that since he never allowed anyone to touch him, he hadn't realized that his skin around his scar was apparently very sensitive.

Kidd offered a sharp smile as he leaned in close so that he could whisper into Law's ear, "Do we need to do more foreplay? 'Cause I wanna move things along so we can get to the part where I fuck you senseless." Kidd heard the Heart Pirate's breath hitch, and felt that while Law had won the challenge he'd issued, that he would end things his way. Kidd stilled as Law seized either side of his head, so that the red head was forced to look him in the eyes.

Law tilted his head, eyes locked on Kidd's, as he breathed against his lips, "Remember what you said when I first came into the room?"

Kidd was distracted by Law kissing the corner of his mouth, as well as running his hands lightly through his hair. Kidd struggled to string together a coherent thought, "I wanted to know what you wanted and if you were drunk."

"After that." Law muttered, digging his hands through Kidd's red hair more deeply, fingernails scraping against the scalp gently.

"Oh." Was Kidd's brilliant response, before he let out a mirthless laugh, "I think I'm gonna be the one making you beg." Law's hands tightened their grip in Kidd's hair, and the red head thought that meant that Law was agreeing. Until the Heart Pirate abruptly let his arms drop from his hair to trace along Kidd's scars again.

Kidd made a sound somewhere between a hiss and a strangled indignant gasp. He barely managed to keep himself from collapsing directly on top of the other man. It would have served him right for going after his scars though. Kidd let out a soft grunt as the distraction allowed Law to wriggle out from beneath him. Before Kidd could do anything, he was shoved backwards, again, and his back came into contact with the bed sheets once more. Kidd shivered as Law straddled him, and even if he was turned on by the roughness, Law's little smile irritated him. Kidd stiffened as Law shifted, and there was no hope in hell for him to ignore the interesting things happening to his body. Kidd still glowered at Law for good measure, just to let the other know he wasn't exactly pleased with their position.

"You were the one who made the bet it the first place." Law settled more comfortably on top of Kidd, "I'm just seeing things through to the end."

Kidd let out a breathless laugh as he tilted his head up. He looked Law over, finding that even if he called the other pirate a skinny bastard, he was actually rather lithe. The muscles, while not as over bulked as his own, were nice to look at. The tattoos covering Law's upper body were interesting as well, especially the ones over the back of the Heart Pirate's hands. They were slowly inching their way down toward the part of his body that was obviously ready to get going already. Kidd locked eyes with Law, letting a little challenge slip into his smile, "You better not disappoint me, _doctor,_ or I'll be forced to take over." Kidd dropped his head back down against the bed as he let out a slow groan, " _Fuck_. What is _wrong_ with you?!" He hadn't expected that, but Kidd wasn't going to complain too much. At least he'd been right about Law being skilled with his hands.

Law smiled faintly at the expletive, as well as the response to his touch. He moved his hands back to rest on Kidd's shoulders, "I don't think I'll have any problems with you, if you get that hard from me barely touching you." Law smirked at the faintly flushed yet scowling visage below him, "And if you think you have more stamina than me, then try not to disappoint _me_ by not keeping up."

Kidd would have made a scathing retort at that, had it not been for the fact that Law had chosen that precise moment to shift a little and grind down against him. After that, words were meaningless when spoken, as Law's actions spoke volumes at just what he thought of the red head thinking he wouldn't be able to please him.

-x-

 

Kidd guessed that he should have believed Law when he had said that it wouldn't be a problem to blow his mind. Kidd vaguely wondered if his crew would come to check up on him, but he was far too content and exhausted to care about such trivial things. He didn't even care that the door wasn't locked. Not to mention he didn't want to move from where he was sprawled out on his back, as Law was currently using his chest as a pillow. Kidd ran his right hand through Law's hair, a little miffed that the Heart Pirate had managed to tire him out. He was still recovering from the high he'd gotten from their previous…session. Kidd let out a slow sigh. He hadn't realized just how much damn stamina the doctor had, which was quite a fucking lot, all things considered.

"Are you all right, Eustass-ya?" Law queried sleepily, trailing a few fingers absently along the red head's stomach.

Kidd clenched his teeth and stilled Law's hand with his own, since the man's fingers were waking up certain areas of his anatomy. Quite frankly, Kidd needed a rest, and wondered why the hell Trafalgar was still so damn horny, "I didn't know you were such a fucking animal in bed. Where the hell did that come from?" 'That' being the mind blowing sex that had actually made him scream. Him, Eustass ‘Captain’ fucking Kidd, who didn't even let out a peep when he took grievous wounds in battle. Kidd was fairly certain Law wasn't going to let him forget it, though he had plans to return the favor, and hopefully soon.

"Satisfied?"

"I suppose." Kidd chuckled lowly as Law mumbled something crossly and lay over his chest a little more heavily. The red head was definitely going to swap positions. He wasn't the only one that was going to be out of breath that night. Kidd trailed his metal hand carefully along Law's back, drawing forth a slight shiver.

"What? Not good enough for you?" Law questioned, half serious.

Kidd thought he picked up a note of bitterness in the words, but figured he'd imagined it. Law had obviously known what he was doing, and seemed to have taken great pleasure in driving out the screams and gasps and pants from him with carefully timed thrusts. Kidd hadn't realized how sadistic the other could be.  He'd even allowed the Heart Pirate to bite and scratch him quite a lot while Law screwed him into the bed. Kidd was honestly surprised the bed wasn't broken. It was a shitty inn bed, after all, but apparently it'd been built to withstand even the wildest of sex acts.

"You didn't answer me. Was it good?" Law grunted as Kidd flipped him over and pressed up against him from behind, biting the side of his neck gently.

"Good? Fuck, I couldn't see straight after the first time I came. I didn't think you'd actually be that good a lay." Kidd nibbled the skin before him, which drew forth a little squirm. Kidd found it adorable, oddly enough, but never would have dared to say anything about it aloud. Kidd didn't say things like that, and never would. It didn't fit his image, and that was one thing he didn't want Law to find out about. Kidd was about to make a move on the Heart Pirate, feeling sufficiently recovered, when the other man had to go and ruin things by opening his mouth.

"…Why didn't you make me leave earlier?"

Kidd sure as heck heard a bitter bite in that, and since he had no idea what to do about it, answered the question instead, "I wasn't gonna pass up a challenge, even if I thought you were drunk off your ass at the time." Kidd frowned, "Why? Did you want me to throw you out?"

Kidd felt Law shift, and cracked an eye open to see what he was up to. Kidd held still, allowing Law slide away from him as he started to sit up. Kidd's eyes took in the other's tattooed chest. Funny, he hadn't really looked too closely at it before. It fucking figured the skinny bastard would have a heart tattooed on his chest. Kidd snorted softly, "A heart? Really? You felt the need to label yourself literally?"

Law settled down in a seated position next to the red head, "It doesn't matter if it's covered most of the time." Seeing that Kidd was distracted, Law reached out and poked him in the forehead, changing topics, "I asked if you were all right."

Kidd stared at the other tattoos in view as he swatted Law's hand away, " 'm fine." Kidd frowned, "If you keep them covered, why bother with them in the first place?"

Law studied Kidd's face for a moment, before looking away, "I suppose it's because I wanted to make an identity of my own." Law glanced at the tattoos over the back of his hand, "It made it easier to decide what kind of tattoos when I stared being called the Surgeon of Death. I did the tattoo on my chest mainly due to this, however, even if there's a little more to it..."

Kidd watched interestedly as Law turned around, showing off the nice line of his back that ended with a pleasant view of his ass. Kidd stared at it, thinking about jumping Law then and there and leaving idle chatter for later. That is, until Law spoke up, his voice soft.

"Do you see the tattoo, Eustass-ya, or are you looking elsewhere?"

Kidd flicked his gaze away, catching sight of the bigger tattoo taking up a lot of space on the other's back. The red head snorted as he recognized it as Law's Jolly Roger, "What about it? It's just your sign, ain't it?" Kidd's gaze darted down again, thinking it was unfair for a man to have such a nice ass. Lusty thoughts fled Kidd's mind when Law spoke again, this time more seriously.

"Look closely."

Not a problem there. Kidd languidly sat upright and scooted closer, bending his head to study the tattoo in the dim light. All he could see was the inked Jolly Roger, and he said as much, "What am I supposed to be seeing?"

Law issued a sigh, and reached a hand back as he trailed a finger over to the upper right of the tattoo, "Look at the skin. I added ink around the symbol, and covered up bits of it, to make it my own mark."

Kidd frowned but did as asked, and nearly had to squint to see a faint, nearly unnoticeable line that went from the right corner of the tattoo, diagonally across to the bottom left. It was skin colored, but there all the same. Like a scar that had nearly blended back in. That made an image come to mind, "Doflamingo?" Kidd remembered seeing the Jolly Roger at the auction in Sabaody, but hadn't really thought much about it. After all, it had likely been shut down after Straw Hat's wild antics. Kidd focused on the tattoo again, "Why would you have had that bastard's mark to begin with?"

"…I used to work for him, years ago." From the tone in the Heart Pirate's voice, it was clear that he had no real desire to talk about it.

Well, that was interesting. No wonder Law had interfered with the son of a bitch by causing havoc on Punk Hazard. And all the craziness that was Dressrosa. Kidd had certainly had fun with things behind the scenes. Kidd shook the thoughts from his mind, zeroing in on Law. Even though Kidd wasn't exactly sensitive to other people's emotions, being much more concerned with himself, even he knew when a change of topic was required. Luckily he was perfectly able to do just that.

Kidd leaned forward and rested his forehead against Law's. He didn't want the doctor to be focused on something in the past, so he figured he'd make Law focus on him. The haunted look that had appeared in the other's appeared to dim slightly, as if wondering what the red head was up to. Satisfied, Kidd tilted his head, and used one hand to draw Law into a short kiss.

Law considered Kidd silently as the red head broke the kiss, perplexed. He thought that they were going to continue the conversation, but from the glint in Kidd's eyes, that apparently wasn't the case. Law figured that the other captain was ready for another round, and he let out a light exhalation. It wasn't like he could sleep anyway, with all the dark, painful thoughts crossing his mind. Law supposed it was fair, since he'd tricked the other earlier into thinking he was drunk to initiate their encounter, "I suppose it's pointless to say that I'd rather sleep?"

Kidd chuckled darkly at Law's words as he wrapped his arms loosely around the Heart Pirate's waist, turning him and pulling him back up against his chest, "And let you have all the fun for the night? Hell no." Kidd curled his metal limb around Law's chest so that he could nuzzle the short hair in front of him. The red head used his right hand to trail down the Heart Pirate's taut stomach, before he dipped the hand lower. He was rewarded with Law's breath hitching, along with a wiggle of exasperation at the sudden teasing. Kidd rested his chin on Law's shoulder and nipped at the piercings that were there. Tongue darting out to lick his way down the side of Law's throat, Kidd ran his teeth lightly over the other's throat, "It's my turn to play now."

Law learned his head to the side, allowing the red head easier access, and closed his eyes, irritated that Kidd was playing dumb. He did, however, appreciate the distraction. Law hadn't thought that Kidd had any capacity to comfort anyway. Therefore, it was unsurprising that Kidd had turned the focus back to himself, to avoid having to talk. At another bite, this time a little harsher and demanding, Law felt the need to speak. About anything really, no matter how random it was. The Heart Pirate settled on Kidd's words earlier about him being an animal in bed. "Which one of us…is the real animal here?" Law asked breathlessly, unable to see the wicked grin spill across the red head's features.

"An animal, huh?" Kidd murmured as he let himself collapse over onto the bed, taking Law with him. Kidd wrapped his limbs around the Heart Pirate possessively, shifting so that he spooned more comfortably against Law's back. He wasn't about to let the Surgeon of Death get away from him now. With a swift nip to the base of the other's neck, Kidd huskily responded to Law's query, hands dragging lightly along the other captain's sides. "How 'bout I show you, Trafalgar?"

 


	3. Chapter 3

Law woke up feeling absolutely exhausted and sore, and the cause of both was currently pressed up against his back, the red head’s arms tightly wrapped around him, either still fast asleep or half conscious. The Heart Pirate couldn't tell yet which one it was, since the red head's breathing was even. Either way, Law thought that this might be a bit difficult. Add to that his Transponder Snail had been going off for the past hour or so, and he hadn't answered it, meant that he needed to get out of here sooner rather than later. Knowing what his crew would do, Law felt that at the very least he needed to call them back to let them know he was all right. That is, if he could free himself from Kidd's grasp. He hadn't pegged the red head as someone who felt the need to cling. Amusing to know, but right now very inconvenient.

And painful.

Law closed his eyes and let out a low sigh. He'd definitely overdone it last night. He would have at least thought that Kidd would have noticed his wounds, but apparently the other pirate had been distracted enough that he hadn't seen them. With a little bit of difficulty, Law turned over and reached out a hand to ruffle Kidd's hair. Partially to annoy the younger pirate, but also for an excuse to feel the other's hair again. It was softer than it should have been, and Law hated that he liked it. In fact, Law hated that his partially drunk self had thought this was a good idea in the first place. And annoyed further that when sober he had continued on when he really should have stopped and left. "Eustass-ya."

The dark haired pirate's actions only made Kidd sleepily hold him tighter, as the redhead mumbled something that suspiciously sounded like a protest at the idea of moving from where he happened to be. Too bad for Kidd. He would just have to deal with the loss of the pillow Law apparently was to him at this point in time.

The Transponder Snail went off again in the room somewhere, and Law swore under his breath. His crew must be worried, if they were calling him so much. What did they think could have happened to him on this backwater of an island? He knew, but Law didn't want to think about it, and supposed that he should just be grateful that his crew cared enough to check on his wellbeing when he was planning on heading to his ship as soon as he'd woken up that morning.

But the obstacle known as Kidd was proving hard to shake from his person.

Inconvenient.

Law heard the snail stop making noise, and decided that if his crew couldn't contact him that way, they would come looking for him wherever they could think he might have gotten to. Which would lead them here, as it should have been painfully obvious to everyone last evening that he and Kidd were either going to get into a fight, or do something else. Law grumbled something as he poked Kidd this time, in the cheek. Because that ought to get his attention. In his mind, Law was telling himself that he didn't find Kidd's actions in any way endearing, and that the only reason he had stayed so long was for two reasons, and two reasons only.

The first, Law had needed a distraction after the disaster that was Dressrosa. Two, the dark haired pirate had unfortunately found Kidd's childish grin of triumph from dinner to have been the deciding factor to attempt a romp in the sack with the other captain. It had been intended to shut the other man up as well as a easy distraction, but the Heart Pirate felt that it may have gotten a bit carried away. He hoped that Kidd didn't get any ideas, but had to wonder, since Kidd still hadn't let go of him. "Eustass-ya." Law wondered if he was up to creating a room and letting Kidd coddle a shirt instead of him. The Heart Pirate considered it, then decided he didn't want to waste his energy on something like that, "Let go of me." Kidd's response was unexpected and it gave Law pause.

"So you can run off?"

Law let out something that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, "I'm fat too tired to make an attempt at running." Law felt Kidd snuggle closer and bury his face against the side of his throat.

"Maybe I'll make you even more tired. I still want to sleep."

Law closed his eyes at the odd sensation of breath against his skin, before he closed his eyes briefly. He figured that Kidd had to have been half asleep still; otherwise the redhead would have been more liable to shove him out of bed once he remembered what had happened between them last night. The fact that Kidd was apparently up for another round of making out on the now broken bed was more than Law could handle right now. He'd have thought Kidd would be bored by now and insist he get the hell out before he started a fight. Law tried to pull away from the redheaded captain, "I am too sore for you to do anything of the sort." The Heart Pirate pressed harder against Kidd's nearest shoulder, "And I should have told you that I was injured, but I would have thought you'd have noticed that."

Kidd abruptly let go so that he could sit up and look down at Law, his expression clear that he doubted the other captain's words.

Law knew what the other captain would see, and felt vaguely vindictive in the fact that he had been able to make Kidd not realize it. Because that meant that he had sufficiently distracted Kidd enough last night that the other man had missed the obvious bandages. Law knew that he probably appeared more exhausted than usual, and from the feel of it, Law knew that at least some of the wounds had bled through the bandages. Law wasn't surprised at this. Kidd had certainly been vigorous last night when he had taken a turn fucking him, and Law was surprised that neither of them had been injured when they had broken the inn bed after all. Law supposed that there was only so much sex that a poorly framed bed could handle.

Kidd was still studying the Heart Pirate, eyes roving over the other man as he took in the bandages. "You were injured?" Hadn't Dressrosa been over a week ago? Surely any wounds from that time had to have healed by now.

Law sighed. Kidd was proving to be very tiresome in the morning with the slow uptake, "My right shin was slashed, as was my right forearm and left shoulder." Law gave Kidd an exasperated look, "And you didn't notice the bandages last night when we were undressing? That I didn't get them off as quickly as you?" Law noted Kidd's expression, before he shook his head, "I guess not." That still didn't surprise Law, as he was fairly certain that most of the time Kidd was only concerned about himself. Law held still as Kidd pulled the sheets away, and the dark haired pirate suppressed a shudder at the action. The change in temperature was unexpected, but with their combined body heat, Law supposed the rest of the room was not as cold as it appeared to be now.

Kidd saw the bandages wrapped around the Heart Pirate's limbs, and wondered why it hadn't stood out to him last night. Shouldn't it have? Law's skin was darker than the bandages wrapped around the body parts that Law had indicated was injured, so Kidd couldn't have possibly overlooked them. But he had. And there was blood on the sheets Kidd had pulled back, indicating that the wounds had had their stiches ripped, "Shit. What the hell? Why were you…?"

"Because you clearly intended whatever you were doing last night in the tavern as a challenge to me. I was going to resist doing anything about it until my wounds were fully healed, but later, once I was intoxicated, I changed my mind. My crew…" Law broke off, before he shrugged with his uninjured shoulder, "They're worried. They've been trying to contact me for the past hour or so. And when I show up like this..." Law's expression darkened, "I couldn't stitch the wound on my shoulder, or my lower back. I'd forgotten I'd only patched that up slightly." Law was not in the mood to fight when Kidd moved closer again and turned him slightly to examine the wounds.

"Shit." Kidd said again, tracing a finger carefully around the shoulder wound. It was small, but deep. Even though he'd been pawing at Law last night, and had looked at the tattoo across the other’s back, he didn't remember this, though Kidd did recall drawing forth a faint flinch. "What the hell happened?" Kidd was surprised that Law was injured at all, considering his Devil Fruit allowed him manipulate the battlefield around him to his liking. In that weird dome of his, or so Kidd thought, based on what he had seen of Law fighting at Sabaody. And last night in the tavern.

"Doflamingo." Law said in return, but did not elaborate. The Heart Pirate flinched as Kidd's finger traced his lower back's wound, "Don't touch it, idiot."

Kidd didn't say anything about the 'idiot' comment, because he was far more preoccupied with the injury, and the fact that he hadn't noticed it sooner, "How the fuck didn't I…?"

"…notice it? You were distracted and I was buzzed to begin with. It didn't seem important at the time." Law meant it, that it wasn't important. He'd figured the stiches would pull if the two of them went through with sex, but Law hadn't realized Kidd would really get into the exchange and rip the stiches completely. It hurt, but Law had been too far gone at that point to really care.

Kidd let go of Law again and moved a few inches away from the other pirate captain to sulk, "I suppose you're going to leave then?" It wouldn't surprise him. It seemed that it had been more of a whim on Law's part to have sex, especially when he had to pretend to be drunk to try and get some. It would just figure, but Kidd found himself irritated that he was even thinking about being upset in the first place. It wasn't like he cared if Law left or not. The Heart Pirate had obviously gotten what he'd wanted, and the next time they met, they'd either be rivals and enemies in their search for One Piece, or temporary allies in an alliance to bring down the Four Emperors.

"I was supposed to leave this morning with my crew." Law just knew that he had slept in due to the Transponder Snail going off so many times, "I have an island to get to sooner rather than later." Law admitted after a moment, though he was reluctant to get out of bed. Just thinking about what he was planning on doing put a damper on his mood and motivation to leave the inn.

Kidd noticed the hesitation, and grinned sleepily as he nuzzled along Law's throat as he leaned in against the other man once more, "You're not leaving." The red-headed pirate pointed out. Kidd grunted as Law shoved him back, and was met with the Heart Pirate's irritable gaze when he righted himself with a glower.

"I happen to be sore because _someone_ had to prove he could be 'more of an animal' in bed." Law said coolly, expression all but daring Kidd to try and get close to him again.

Kidd smiled at that, and felt that it was a bluff on Law's part. But he merely shrugged and flopped back down onto the bed, "And was I?"

Before Law could respond to the obviously snide yet weirdly amused question, there was a hand hammering on the door in a frantically. The dark haired pirate froze at the voice that sounded with the knocking. Damn, he hadn't been fast enough to avoid it.

"Law! Are you all right?"

Penguin.

"Captain?  Law?"

Shachi.

Law started to rise again, only to fall back down with a hiss of pain as he jostled his shoulder wound. It would just figure that his crewmates would find him in this questionable state. Stark naked and in bed with a rival captain. Not much would be left to the imagination to figure out what exactly had happened. Law noticed that Kidd moved back across the bed to assist him, and for the moment, the dark haired pirate wasn't about to complain about the red head helping him. As odd as it was. For now, it was more important that he got some clothes on before...

Kidd flicked a finger at the door to unlock it. He knew that he was already going to get hell for breaking the bed, not to mention the broken lamp from before. He wasn't going to deal with a door on top of that. In fact, he was going to leave before it became an issue. If the door was intact, the state of the bed and lamp would be discovered long after he had left the building. "Your crew sure is overprotective of you." Kidd grumbled under his breath as he steadied Law on the broken bed.

The door slammed open as soon as the pirates on the other side realized that it was unlocked. Penguin and Shachi stumbled into the room, but stopped short at the sight that greeted them. It was clear from their expressions that they felt they shouldn't have opened the door and had their eyes assailed with the sight of their captain in bed with Kidd, who appeared to be more amused than angry at the intrusion.

Penguin averted his gaze, or seemed to, "Captain, we were ready to leave port three hours ago. We couldn't get through to your Transponder Snail..." Penguin sighed, "And if you're going to have sex, could you at least keep the timeframe you yourself decided on?"

Shachi used his crewmate to shield himself from the sight, "The rest of the crew was worried when you didn't answer, so we came to look for you…"

"Based off of last night, we figured you might be here." Penguin commented, crossing his arms.

'Last night' meaning just what Penguin had said before. Sex. Or perhaps he meant the near silent exchange between himself and Kidd at dinner, at least until the two of them had gotten into a fight. Law figured that Penguin would have noticed what he was up to after he'd finished drinking, if not Shachi too. He had, however, hoped that all of them would have just thought he'd passed out in his inn room and would be to the ship late, but perfectly fine. From Penguin's tone, he knew that his crewmate thought he had gotten into trouble instead, and not just rough sex with Kidd.

"We've found some movement from Kaido. Two hours ago." Shachi commented, as he shifted from foot to foot.

"Is he moving the direction we thought?" Law managed to reach over the bed for his pants, before he let out a gasp and nearly fell out of bed. The only reason he didn't have an unfortunate meeting with the ground was because Kidd swiftly reached out and caught him. It was rather embarrassing, to have to rely on the other captain, who'd only shown interest in getting on his nerves last night. And some obvious reluctance to have sex while the Heart Pirate had been 'intoxicated'.

Though it was surprising that Kidd to be able to restrain himself, to a point.

Penguin braved more of the sight to move forward to retrieve his captains clothes, his lips drawn into a tight line at the sight of the reopened and bleeding wounds, "I'll have some of the crew get the infirmary ready." Beneath the Heart Pirate crewmates' hat, pale eyes narrowed at Law, "And you made it seem like you were not going to do anything to overexert yourself when you left the table last night."

Law accepted the clothes as he reluctantly slapped his free hand at Kidd's arms. He felt the arms, one flesh, the other metal as they moved away from his body slowly. Law decided to leave his shirt off after all, not wanting to stain it with blood. Not to mention fabric against open wounds would be very painful.  The pants Law slipped into, but nothing else. He'd have to take them off again anyway for his shin to be looked at. That accomplished, Law stood hesitantly, before he limped over to his boots, which he toed on with minimal difficulty. Slinging his shirt over his uninjured shoulder, Law headed for the door. Partway there he faltered, but Penguin moved forward quickly to prevent his captain from falling over again.

Penguin wrapped his left arm around Law's back carefully as he hefted the dark haired pirate's uninjured shoulder over his own, "I can't believe you ripped all of your stitches. Some of your wounds were closing up."

Law leaned heavily against his crewmate as he half-glanced over his shoulder at Kidd, who was still on the bed and wearing a perplexed, half annoyed expression. Law offered a thin, teasing smile, "I still won our little bet." It was satisfying to see the blush cross Kidd's face and hear the obvious embarrassment in the other's voice.

"Get the hell out of here, Trafalgar."

Law could tell that Kidd, for whatever reason, didn't actually want him to go. Or so it seemed from the tone the redhead had spoken in. Kidd hadn't sounded serious or hostile either. Odd. Law figured that Kidd must have still been as tired as he was. The red haired captain would no doubt be back to his aggravating, insulting self in no time, and would take full advantage of it the next time they crossed paths. The Heart Pirate knew that they would. After all, Kidd wanted to defeat the Four Emperors as well, so it would be a given that they might cross paths again. Though their interactions were likely to be in a battle against those aligned with an Emperor. There was likely to never be another night between them like last night. It had been more of a one night stand for the both of them, even if the other captain appeared to have enjoyed himself, once he went along with the way the evening had gone.

Law didn't appear to notice the faint disappointment that crossed Kidd's face as he left the room with his two crewmates.

Killer passed by Law and his crew, before he entered into his captain's inn room silently. The blond haired crewmate took in the sight of the broken bed his captain was seated on, and the boxer clad Kidd who looked to be half pleased and half irritated.

A peculiar combination.

Attempting to gage his captain's mood, Killer spoke as he caught sight of the blood on the sheets, "Did things go how you thought they would last night?"

Kidd pulled a shirt on absently, "No, it didn't."

Killer waited for Kidd to dress the rest of the way before speaking again, "Is that good or bad? Things not going how you thought they would?"

Kidd was silent as he brushed past his crewmate, limping, before he paused halfway down the hall, "I don't know." The redheaded captain resumed walking, stomping, really, down the hall toward the stairs, "We're leaving. Wake the rest of the crew."

Killer watched Kidd until he was out of view, before he turned to do as his captain had asked of him. Kidd appeared to be less angry now, and Killer had to wonder how Law factored into it. Both men limping could mean only one thing, and Killer found it hard to believe that such a thing occurred with the animosity between the two captains. Killer had never questioned Kidd as to why he always seemed so unusually annoyed to the point that he would break things whenever Law was mentioned. Perhaps now was a good time to find out why. Killer was interested, if only because he wanted to know if he needed to be worried about his captain making an error in judgment, if Kidd were going to continue to be hung up over Law.

-x-

Law was back on his ship more quickly than he had anticipated, though the presence of the Marines on the island had led to it. Luckily, it seemed, Kidd was still in a good enough mood that he and his crew had ganged up on the Marines in order to allow Law and his two crew members get to their ship unscathed. Law was fairly sure he'd been the only one to catch sight of Kidd looking at him briefly before turning and joining in on the fight. The destruction and confusion the redheaded captain caused with his Devil Fruit powers seemed to be excessive for the number Kidd and his crew faced, but Law had a feeling that he was just showing off.

The Heart Pirate captain was pointedly going to ignore that.

Law let crewmates bring him to the infirmary of their ship, and made not protest as a few of his other crew members treated his wounds and bandaged them. After a very brief argument, Law was in his own cabin, alone, as the rest of the crew prepared to depart.

Law closed his eyes. His body still ached from having rougher sex with Kidd than he had anticipated, but...Law found that he was more concerned with what might happen the next time he and Kidd crossed paths. Law knew from the look he'd received earlier that Kidd wasn't done with him, and whether that was a fight or more behind the door sex, Law wasn't sure. His wounds needed to heal either way. And according to his crew, Kaido was on the move, and that meant that Law and his crew needed to meet up with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats as soon as possible.

In the morning.

Law would contact them the next morning. It would give him time to recover from last night's romp. Law's mind was still troubled with what had occurred on Dressrosa and what had followed soon after the entire fiasco had come to an end. Kidd became a distant thought as Law began to doze off.

-x-

Penguin closed the door after checking the now sleeping occupant. Finally, Law had fallen asleep. It was obvious that he needed more of it after what he and Kidd had been up to last night. Penguin shook his head as he glanced down at a scrap of paper in his hand, before he pocketed it. With all that Law had on his mind, receiving a piece of paper with Kidd'scontact info might be too much. He would give it to his captain later, when he was less stressed out and thinking more clearly.

"Penguin." Shachi saw the other glance at him, and continued, "I intercepted a call between Doflamingo and Crocodile. I think. There were breaks between some of the words, but overall, it made sense. Kaido's not the only one making a move."

"Did you write it down?" Penguin asked absently, as he began to move along the narrow hall.

"Yes, and it doesn't sound good." Shachi shoved open his cabin door and sunk onto his bunk, leaving the door open for the other Heart Pirate to enter, “Penguin…Doflamingo isn't going to leave Law alone. It sounded like he wanted to finish what he started."

"Damn. I thought that the captain made sure that that wasn't going to happen." Penguin said as he sunk into the chair in the cabin. He removed his hat to run his fingers through his hair, pale eyes rising to meet Shachi's shaded ones, "Do you think Law knows?"

Shachi shrugged, his expression troubled, "Maybe, but he could have…" Shachi looked away, "He could have lied to us about it. Kept it to himself."

"About having resolved things regarding Doflamingo?" Penguin thought about it as he dropped his hat onto his lap with a groan, "That would make sense, I suppose, with going to that island we were on last night. He was waiting to see if there was any word about Doflamingo. And that island is known for its gossip."

"But he wanted to leave when he heard that Kaido was on the move." Shachi pointed out as he stretched out and dropped backward onto his bunk, his train of thought switching tracks, "The captain was careless last night."

"He was." Penguin agreed as he leaned back in the chair, "Perhaps he didn't think that Doflamingo would make a move so soon?"

"We should have never let him go to Dressrosa with Straw Hat and his crew. He could have been badly injured." Shachi said after a moment, staring up at the ceiling.

Penguin looked at the ground, frowning, "You know that he expected Doflamingo to kill him, don't you?"

Shachi sat up quickly at that, "What are you talking about?"

Penguin lifted his gaze to lock with the other's shaded eyes sharply, "He didn't tell you? That he didn't expect to survive once he got to Dressrosa, especially if things went wrong?" He remembered the brief call. Remembered the evasive words Law had given him, in addition to the ones he had told him earlier, before he'd gone to Punk Hazard.  And had been quick to counter every one of Penguin’s protests.

Shachi looked bewildered, "No, nothing of the sort. He just said that he'd be away and that you would take care of things while he was…" Shachi broke off when he noticed that the other Heart Pirate had gone rigid in the chair. "Penguin?" Shachi started in surprise as the other man surged to his feet, his hat dropping to the ground, forgotten, as Penguin wrenched the cabin door open and stalked down the hall to Law's room.

"Penguin? What's wrong?" Shachi asked as he followed after his crewmate, confused, yet surprised to see the wrath in the other man's eyes.

"Shachi? Can you go check with Bepo to make sure we're on course? And could you bring the transcription of the Transponder Snail call you recorded?" Penguin's voice was barely controlled, and he ended up gritting out the words as he stood before Law's cabin door.

Shachi blinked, before he nodded, slowly, eyeing the other man warily, "Sure." Shachi wasn't sure what was wrong, but from the sound of hit, Law had apparently lied about more than what he initially thought his captain might have. Shachi hurried to do what Penguin asked, because he thought he might need to return sooner rather than later to diffuse the situation.

Because Penguin looked about ready to throttle their captain for something he'd apparently said only to him.


	4. Chapter 4

Law fell into an exhausted sleep almost as soon as Penguin had closed the door to his cabin. The dark haired pirate had been running on auto pilot that morning, and he held onto it as long as he could to not let on just how tired he was. Had he not had his injuries seen to upon returning to his ship, he was sure he would have fallen asleep then and there.

It was probably for the best though, to not let his crew know how weary he was. With all that had happened in such a short amount of time in the past few months, and last week, Law felt that his crew should at least had an idea of how exhausted their captain was. He was fairly certain that most, if not all of his crew, had caught him dozing off in odd places around the submarine. An obvious sign of his sleep deprivation when he couldn't even make it to his cabin.

Sleep came and took away his worries for the time being, which Law was grateful for. He was far more troubled than he had been the day before, and the Heart Pirate captain now had one more thing on his plate to think about and factor in with everything else that he already had going on.

Kidd.

-x-

_Law half woke at the sound of his cabin door opening and closing. He had nearly missed it, but years of light sleeping due to fear of being found made it easier for him to wake up when something was different. He heard it, even half asleep. The sound of soft footsteps. The sound of someone breathing, yet trying to remain quiet. The dark haired pirate considered turning and confronting the intruder, but was just too tired to do so. Besides, Law sensed no malicious intent. If he had, he would have already been out of the room via his Devil Fruit powers, and roused the rest of his crew to confront the intruder._

_The Heart Pirate held still as someone settled on his bed. He heard it creak, the bed shifting as it compensated for the person's weight. That was different. No one would sit on his bed that he knew of from his crew. That meant that it wasn't one of his crewmates coming to wake him up. Odd, that he had heard no alarm from anyone in the hall outside his cabin. He always had stated he wanted one person awake and keeping an eye on things, if not two people. Law froze as the weight shifted closer, before there was hot breath puffing against the side of his throat._

_"You need better lookouts, Trafalgar."_

_Kidd._

_Law furrowed his brow. What in the hell was the other captain doing on his ship? It was underwater at the moment, wasn't it? He had thought he had specifically told his crew to dive below the surface. Then again, he had been worn out and needed his wounds to be re-stitched, so perhaps he had not said what he had thought he said aloud. All the same, Kidd shouldn't have been on the ship. Law began to turn over, when Kidd's weight pinned him down on the bed. Gently, this time around, and Law supposed that the redhead had noticed his bandages this time. "Eustass-ya, what are you...?"_

_The dark haired pirate let out a gasp as Kidd's hand threaded through his hair and turned his head to the side in order to kiss him. Startled, Law attempted to turn to better angle his head, and nearly moaned into the kiss. Unexpected, but not exactly unwelcome, even if he was a little bit confused by the other's actions. He had honestly thought Kidd was uninterested in doing anything of the same nature after last night, but perhaps Law had been mistaken._

_However...with recent previous events that were Dressrosa...perhaps he should..._

_Law took in several deep breaths after Kidd released him from the kiss, before he had to rest his head against the bed as Kidd's hands began to roam over his body, before flipping him back over onto his back as gently as possible to avoid jostling the injuries too much. "Eustass-ya." Law had to tell him. Tell him why he'd been ignoring him that night at the tavern they'd run across one another at. Law tilted his head back as Kidd began to trace his lips along his throat. Law tried to focus. He needed to tell Kidd to stay away. Not for the reasons he might think, but for what could happen in the future should things go as wrong as they had in Dressrosa. Law had been wrong once about things going as he thought they should, and it could happen again. "Eustass-ya, I..." Law bit his lips as Kidd's right hand dipped along his waistline, and the dark haired pirate shuddered as Kidd bit down on the side of his neck lightly._

_Damn...why wasn't Kidd letting him speak? Surely the redheaded captain would rather get any idle talk out of the way?_

_Kidd's hand only dipped lower with a chuckle before..._

-x-

Law was shaken into wakefulness by one thoroughly pissed off Penguin. Not the most pleasant way to wake up, but not one of the worst. The dark haired captain was momentarily disoriented by the sudden change in scenery from the rather realistic dream. Law shifted uncomfortably as something else soon became apparent. His body had obviously been enjoying the dream very much, but Law found that at this point in time, being held onto by Penguin and being as weary as he was that he was unable to finish what the dream had started. Not to mention that his aroused state was already quickly vanishing due to Penguin being visibly upset with him for one reason or another. That woke Law up the rest of the way, and he hastily shoved aside the fact that he had been dreaming about Kidd and being in a compromising position, and enjoying it.

The Heart Pirate captain winced as his wounds were jostled as Penguin gripped the collar of the loose shirt that he had tossed on before falling asleep. Law had known that he really shouldn't have had anything brushing against his bandages, but he was cold, and he hadn't wanted to bother with the sheets. But perhaps he should have, because then Penguin wouldn't have had anything to grip him by. Law winced faintly as Penguin hoisted him upright into a seated position so that they could be face to face. The dark haired captain was far more startled by the fact that Penguin's pale eyes were visible, rather than the actions that his crewmate was currently exhibiting. Though the rage in the other man's gaze was something that Law didn't often see from the other man.

"You didn't tell them."

Penguin's voice was a low, dangerous growl and unlike anything Law had ever heard out of the other man. It wasn't often that Penguin lost his temper, but when he did, it was always something that mattered to him that had made him become upset in the first place. Most unfortunately, Law knew exactly what this was about. It was something that dark haired pirate had expected sooner, so he had prior knowledge that this conversation was coming. But he wasn't ready to give the answers, because he had no good reason that would fly with Penguin. Law knew what the problem was all right, and it was the reason that Penguin was being so careless about his newly stitched wounds. Since Law hadn't expected to survive Dressrosa to return to his crew, Law had never given thought of what to do if he did return alive. Based on Penguin's reaction now, Law figured that it was why the other man had given him the cold shoulder while the rest of the crew had all greeted him warmly, relieved that, while injured, he was alive and well.

And it was probably why Penguin hadn't really talked to him upon his return either. When he had to, it was usually kept professional and clipped, as if he were waiting for Law to admit fault. And had been acting the same way for the past week. The dark haired captain knew that it had to have been terrible for Penguin to believe that he'd never see Law again, only to have his captain return after all of the chaos had fallen through. Because Penguin hadn't expected him to come back. Hadn't expected to ever see him alive and whole. To have all of the pressure on his shoulders, while the rest of the crew had been blissfully ignorant of what could have been. Law felt Penguin's grip tighten, and knew that the other man was even angrier than before, because he must have just found out that Law had neglected to tell the rest of the crew about his potential demise with the plan he had come up with, should something go wrong.

Law rested a hand on his crewmate's, letting pressure fall on the other's wrist as he spoke in as calm a voice as he could manage, "My wounds, Penguin." He knew that the other man wasn't going to actually cause any bodily harm, but he sure seemed to want knock some sense in him. For whatever reason. Law's problems were his own, however, and he didn't need to be reminded that he had made some mistakes along the way. But this problem...he did need to be confronted on it, because he should have never put so much weight on his only one of his crew's shoulders.

The grip tightened instead of loosening, and Penguin narrowed his eyes, his voice any icy hiss. "How could you not tell them?"

Law looked to the side, away from Penguin's accusing stare. It was at times like this that he'd rather have his crewmate wearing his hat. It was harder to lie to yourself when you saw honesty in another's gaze. Well, honesty and indignation. Law's shoulders slumped slightly as he let out a sigh, before reluctantly admitting the truth, "None of you would have let me leave if I had told you all. Everyone would have found a way to stop me from going."

"Because we care about you and don't want you to get yourself killed? Especially when you ended up on your own for months, surrounded by enemies." Penguin shook his head as he refrained from jostling Law around, "And you thought it was all right to tell only _me_ your plans? That you basically told me that I was to take care of the rest of the crew should something happen to you? Or when you made that brief call and told me you'd screwed up, and that Doflamingo nearly killed you? Do you remember that?"

"You didn't try to stop me from leaving." Law said tonelessly, even though it was a lie. It was a blatant lie, and it was what made Penguin let go of him abruptly. Law propped himself up on his right arm, and just knew, from what he could sense, that he had further infuriated Penguin. Law could have easily ducked away from what happened next, but didn't bother to. Law still ended up flinching as Penguin slapped him.

"I did try to stop you, but the rest of the crew held me back." Penguin snapped, even as his voice wavered, as if he couldn't believe that Law was trying to lie to avoid the truth, "You saw me. I know you saw me try. And what did you do?" Penguin's voice shook as he did, trying and failing to keep the emotion from spilling out, “You left. You left without saying anything. Without trying to explain to the crew why I was acting in such a way. I told you not to go, but you kept on walking. How do you think that made me feel? To think that that was the last time I might see you alive? And not a body lying on the ground somewhere? What would you have done if I had told the crew and we came to help you?"

Law's tone was flat, even though he was clearly uncomfortable with Penguin being so upset. Law had obviously not realized just how stressful that one secret had been for Penguin. However, the Heart Pirate firmly believed that it had been worth it, even if it had caused Penguin some emotional agony. He knew that Penguin, along with Shachi, Bepo and the others, would have kept the whole crew safe should Doflamingo have actually killed him back in Dressrosa. "You know what would have happened. Joker would have found it amusing to slaughter you all before my eyes before he took his time with me. You know what he is like."

"Damn you." Penguin snarled angrily, before he took another swing at Law. His captain's denial was grating on his nerves. Why couldn't he see? Why couldn't he see that it was wrong to lie to the entire crew? "Don't say it was for our own good!" That Law allowed the punch to land when he could have easily avoided it, injured or not, only made him feel worse. It hurt Penguin to see Law's blank expression, the smirk all but gone these past few days, weeks, months. Had it really been a year since any of the crew had really seen Law crack a smile? Penguin's arms dropped to his sides as he sunk to his knees, one hand reaching out to clutch the sheets as he rested his head against the mattress of the bed, "Damn you. You lied to them." Penguin clutched the sheets in a crushing grip, not trusting himself to say any more. He wasn't sure how he would act, and he really didn't think that turning it into a fight would benefit either himself or Law. It would likely only make things worse than they already were. Penguin girt his teeth, his emotions settling on a combination of pity and self-loathing when he felt a hand tentatively ruffle his hair.

"...I'm sorry...but I'm back, so it didn't..." Law's voice went quiet, as if he couldn't quite bring himself to acknowledge the mistakes he'd made, but knew he had made them all the same,"...But they were happy, weren't they? Even if you all were worried about me with all of the news that came out."

"...Yes, they were happy, for the most part. But you know that it would have been bad if you'd have died. No one would have taken it well." It was obvious from Penguin's tone that he wouldn't have either, "That we couldn't have done anything to help you." Penguin let out a sigh, but didn't move from where he was kneeling. He felt on the verge of tears or worse, another fit of concentrated rage, and knew that he had to stop that from happening, for now. He knew that Law had more on his mind than he would let on, because he didn't want to worry his crew.

It always came back to that. Law didn't want any of them to be worried over him, so he took all the trouble on his own shoulders, and Penguin was concerned that one day that by keeping all of his troubles bottled up that it was going to get his captain killed. _Could_ have gotten him killed with what appeared to have happened in Dressrosa. Penguin felt a faint spark of anger along with a lingering feeling of guilt with what Law said next. It was unexpected, and made Penguin feel terrible for bringing up the topic with his captain.

"Penguin. I don't think that...Doflamingo had intended to kill me. At first it seemed to be that way, but then...something changed his mind..."

Penguin felt Law's hand leave his hair and he peeked up at his captain, sufficiently calmed enough to keep his emotions in check, "Captain?" He didn't like the look on Law's face. It was a distressed, unhappy look, and Penguin didn't want to hear why, but at the same time, he needed to hear it. Wanted to understand, so that he and the rest of the crew could support Law in any way they could. Penguin knew all of them missed the laid-back, confident captain that they had joined with in the first place, despite the ups and downs that followed. Penguin attempted to make eye contact with the other man, and found it a bad sign that he didn't, "Law?"

Law was staring absently at the tattoos on the back of his hands that he had settled on his lap, "He wanted me to be back in his crew, Penguin. And for reasons I don't want to begin to think about.  He didn't outright say it...but his actions that he took after everything went wrong..." Law shook his head, "I don't know...but if he comes after me, I am not sure if he will just be in the mood to kill me, or decide to just take me back after proving I don't stand a chance in a fight against him..."

Penguin heard a knock on the door, and was glad for a break in the conversation. He wasn't sure what he was feeling about Law keeping things to himself. "Shachi caught a transponder snail call earlier." He had nearly forgotten about it in his brief anger with Law for being a fool and keeping the truth hidden from the rest of the crew.

"Kaido?" Law asked, straightening up as Shachi came into the room. He still looked tired, but was now at least alert enough that it showed that he hadn't lost any of his willpower despite how down and depressed he seemed to be.

Penguin shook his head, eyeing his captain, "No, it was Doflamingo." As soon as the heart pirate crewmate saw the color drain out of Law's face, he wished he hadn't said it. There was something that had happened in Dressrosa that Law wasn't letting out. Or it could have been lingering feelings about his past when he had worked for Doflamingo before. Penguin quickly held out a hand to prevent Law from tipping over, as his captain appeared to have forgotten just how bad of shape he was in.

"What did he say?" Law demanded, allowing Penguin to help him stay upright as he looked across the small room to Shachi.

Penguin felt one of Law's hands grip his nearest one, and hoped that whatever it was, it was not going to involve anything about Law himself. From the way their captain was acting, however, Penguin felt that Law was almost expecting it to involve him. Penguin moved his other hand behind Law's back to keep the other man upright. Penguin looked away from Law to Shachi, and nodded to him, though he held on a little more firmly than he normally would with Law's injuries, in case whatever Shachi said set Law off.

Shachi glanced down at the sheet of paper, "It was garbled at times, but he was talking to Crocodile."

"Just give me the gist of it, then."

Shachi nodded, though he cast a sideways glance at Penguin, looking worried.

Damn, it must be what he had thought. Penguin almost didn't want Shachi to say whatever the call had been about, but Law was captain, and his orders were absolute. To a point. If Penguin and Shachi had to hold Law down to keep him from harming himself further by not letting his injuries heal, Penguin would not feel one bit guilty about it.

Shachi took a breath, as if trying and failing to find a way to lessen the blow of bad news, "Captain…Doflamingo is trying to locate you. He wants to talk, though I don't know if that's what he really intends. Crocodile said why bother, if you had been trying to get him killed and Doflamingo…" Shachi broke off, as if wondering whether he should say the rest, before he finished hesitantly, "He wants to have you back in his crew. He said that, after what happened, he wasn't going to be the only one to take the fall from Kaido. He…he is going to Zou, Law. Where we agreed to meet with Straw Hat Luffy as a waypoint."

Law had frozen, but seemed to be aware enough to speak. He steadied himself with Penguin's help, thinking for a few seconds before he spoke in a calm tone, "Get Straw Hat-ya on a Transponder snail. Tell his crew to stay away from Zou for the time being. We'll pick another island to meet at, since Kaido isn't near Zou as we had first believed. Now. Joker isn't one to waste time." Law watched Shachi quickly left the cabin, before he placed a hand lightly on Penguin's, "You can let go. I won't fall over."

Penguin let go, though he kept a close eye on Law as the dark haired pirate lay down on the bed gingerly. Penguin stared at the sheets before speaking, "It sounds like he doesn't want to kill you."

Law looked away, "It certainly seems that way." And he sounded at a loss of what to do about it.

"…Is this because of…?"

Law cut Penguin off before he could continue his thought, and it was clear that the pirate captain could only handle one distressing thought at a time, "I think that Joker believes that misinterpretations on my part 13 years ago are to be punished, but at the same time forgiven, if I will do something for him.  And if I did..." Law closed his eyes as he let out a slow sigh, "I'd rather he just killed me. I'm a different person than I used to be when I joined his crew all those years ago."

Penguin decided to change topics, since it was obvious that this particular one was something that Law did not want to discuss, "Are you sure that you want to go after Kaido right now, with your wounds? Some of Straw Hat Luffy's crew were injured, weren't they? In Dressrosa, like you were?" He didn't know who or how badly, but it was very clear that neither of their crews ought to go after someone so powerful when they weren't at full strength.

Law was silent before he merely shook his head once more, "I don't know why. Perhaps it is because I fully expected to die in Dressrosa, after all of my plans were ruined. After everything I thought would happen failed to happen in reality. As I thought it would go in my mind." Law rested back on his bed heavily, looking concerned once more, though he sounded pleased at the same time, "At least when Kaido learns of the destruction of the SMILE factory, there will be nowhere for Joker to run that Kaido won't be able to find him."

Penguin refrained, for the time being, of getting into an argument about that. Crossing his arms, Penguin studied his captain, "Will that stop Doflamingo from pursuing you? If he has Kaido to worry about?"

Law closed his eyes and stretched out as best he could, "I doubt it. Can we continue this in a few hours? I doubt you'll let it lie as is, and I haven't gotten much sleep as of late." Last night was left unsaid, because Law knew that Penguin figured out what had happened.

Penguin relented, but he spoke in a more serious tone about his other concern, "I think that at this point in time, you should not go looking for any trouble."

"I haven't done anything like that lately." Law countered, sounding vaguely intrigued by the notion.

Penguin saw a ghost of the smile he and the crew had seen last night, and pursued the topic, almost desperate to see if he was imagining the expression, "Eustass Kidd doesn't count?" Penguin asked bluntly. He was taken aback at Law merely making himself more comfortable, his tone now disinterested.

"Eustass-ya could potentially be trouble, but he is nothing compared to Joker."

Penguin let out a frustrated sigh. Dealing with Law could be exhausting at times. "And if Doflamingo had happened to find you this morning with Kidd instead of Shachi and myself?"

"Eustass-ya would have been a good barrier between myself and Joker. I was not tired enough that I couldn't use my powers if put into a corner."

Penguin knew he had seen a tiny smile at that. "...I'm sure Kidd would appreciate that you think of him as a convenient meat shield." Penguin commented wryly, and wondered if the red headed captain would take it as an insult if Law ever dared to utter something like that around him. Kidd appeared to be short tempered from what Penguin had seen and heard of the other captain. Penguin didn't doubt that Law's sharp tongue could potentially get him into trouble, if not with Kidd, but someone else. Perhaps even Doflamingo. Penguin and the rest of the Heart Pirates had long since grown accustomed to Law's mannerisms and off handed comments, so that none of them were likely to take offense anymore. Not that Law would direct that sarcasm toward them, unless the dark haired pirate felt it necessary.

Law cracked an eye open to look up at his crewmate, amused, "I can take care of myself, Penguin."

Penguin didn't doubt that, but only when his captain was up to full strength, "...I'll wake you in a few hours." Penguin said shortly. He knew that it was no use to try and hold a conversation when Law was obviously exhausted and in a relatively unpleasant mood. Penguin turned away, before Law made him stop short.

Law's voice was still amused, but with more of the edge of exasperation at his crewmate's behavior. "There was something in my jacket pocket this morning, and it's not there now." Law's voice turned demanding, brooking no room for argument, "You don't happen to know where it is, do you?"

Penguin paused with his hand on the doorknob, "You don't need any more on your mind, captain."

"Penguin."

At the cold tone, Penguin again relented and crossed the few steps back to Law's bed, dipping a hand into a pocket and retrieving the small scrap of paper. Penguin silently held it out for Law to take, and if he had blinked, the Heart Pirate crewmate would have missed the faint trace of amusement that crossed his captain's face as he saw what was written on the paper.

Law set the paper next to his bed and lifted his gaze to Penguin, "I do not see how a contact is any trouble."

"If you are distracted, that will only make things easier for Doflamingo." Penguin calmly reminded the other man, "And you should not do anything to aggravate your wounds until they are healed, but obviously, you are not going to do that, are you?" Penguin had seen the way Law was moving so gingerly, and didn't think that it was in Law's best interest to do anything vigorous, fighting or otherwise, until he was feeling better.

"I'm going to rest now, Penguin."

Penguin watched Law turn over onto his back, and figured that the conversation was definitely over now. Penguin left the room before he could think of anything else to get into a fight with his captain over. Law had to have known that Penguin was only doing what he was doing because he was worried. Hell, the whole crew was concerned about their captain ever since he had returned bleeding from various wounds and weirdly silent about how he had acquired said wounds. Penguin left Law alone, and silently closed the door. As Penguin walked down the hall of the ship, he wondered if Law had figured out just how much all of them were worried about his well- being. Penguin tuned back into his surrounding, and went to go find Shachi, though his troubles followed him. Penguin just didn't know what to do.

Ever since Law had become a Warlord of the sea, everything seemed to have begun to go downhill.

-x-

Kidd hoped that this wasn't going to be a reoccurring theme. Having something interesting happen only to be greeted by a stretch of absolutely nothing to do but brood and scowl at anyone and everything that came in his path. That would get boring and boring fast.

And another bout of boredom would only force Kidd to go find a nearby island to lay siege to it to relieve that boredom.

Kidd scowled despite not really feeling all that angry. He was actually feeling pretty good, and was sure that the oddly good mood was due to what had happened the night before. But he was still going to find something to be unhappy about, if only to give him something to do.

Law was nowhere in sight. Not even his ship.

Kidd scanned the immediate area, but knew it was useless after a few minutes. There was no sign of Law's ship, and there probably wouldn't be. And that meant that the sneaky bastard had made his departure underwater without bothering to stick around for a few minutes. Kidd tapped the railing of his ship, pondering, and came to the conclusion that it was odd that Law had a submarine when he couldn't even swim.

Kidd scanned the immediate waters, before he turned away and went to his cabin. The red haired captain sure as hell wouldn't want to be underwater, should some disaster strike the ship. Kidd did not fancy drowning, as it would be unpleasant, not to mention embarrassing as hell, to go in such a fashion without a fight. Kidd settled into a chair in his cabin, thinking that he could take a quick nap, because once again, nothing interesting was going on. It would only be a matter of time before he grew bored again, and would want to go out and destroy something to make himself feel better. He hated inactivity. The island idea was sounding more promising the more he thought of it.

Footsteps announced the arrival of someone that had come to interrupt the redhead's thoughts of destruction and mayhem, and Kidd wasn't sure whether he was grateful or annoyed at the interruption.

Kidd barely glanced up to see who had entered his cabin, because he knew that the only ones who would dare to bother him were either Killer or Heat. And fortunately for the whole crew, Kidd was in a much better mood than before, so none of them had to worry about his temper. For now. Kidd let out a yawn as he stretched out a bit as he watched Killer lean up against the nearest wall of the cabin. Kidd doubted that it would be anything urgent, so he looked his crewmate over with a bored expression. Killer obviously wanted to talk, and Kidd was a little interested because Killer wasn't normally one for conversation unless it was important, "Yeah? What is it?"

Killer spoke aloud, getting straight to the point, "Why were you in bed with Law this morning? You've done nothing but bitch and moan about that man on and off for the past two years. And caused all of that damage whenever there was a mere mention of him, whether in the paper or gossip in the towns."

Whatever Kidd had thought Killer was going to talk to him about, this was not it at all. Kidd stared at Killer to see if he was serious, but since the blond wore a mask, Killer's body language gave him no indication one way or another. Kidd grumbled something under his breath before he responded, "Why the hell does it matter to you?" Kidd knew that at least some of the crew had noticed how unhappy or angry he got at the mere mention of the Surgeon of Death, but Kidd was not about to let on why that was. If he did, Kidd would have to kill anyone who heard those reasons. Kidd thought about it for a minute. While Law's manners left something to be desired, Kidd loved how destructive Law could be with his powers, and it would have been even more entertaining to see people decapitated from a distance and stay dead, but a disembodied head speaking was still entertaining as hell.

Kidd stared up at the ceiling. He didn't like to be outdone on the battlefield, nor have his bounty bested by those that became infamous along with him, so he...tended to go a little overboard to compensate. If nothing else, when he'd gotten to the New World and heard about some of the equally destructive things Law had done, all of them illegal, Kidd had felt insulted that he had never been around to join in on any of them. Law becoming a warlord had almost made Kidd lose interest in him altogether, until he figured that Law had to be plotting something bigger. Kidd was quite pleased that that turned out to be true with what had gone down in Punk Hazard...what with Law and Luffy forming an alliance...

Kidd scowled. It had been unsurprising given what had happened on Punk Hazard, but then again, the red headed captain was feeling a bit left out. That he had already formed an alliance with Hawkins and Apoo meant nothing, because at the time Kidd had half thought Law was a for working with the government. Now that Law was likely to lose the warlord title...it meant that Law was more likely to form more alliances. He appeared to be going after Kaido with what had gone down in Dressrosa...

"Kidd?"

Kidd jolted out of his thoughts as he realized that Killer had been patiently waiting for him to answer his questions. Kidd averted his eyes and snorted softly, "It is none of your damn business." Kidd glanced at his Transponder Snail, before he leaned back in his chair. It was stupid to think about Law at all if the son of a bitch wasn't even going to bother to call him, if only to cheek him or tease him about last night.

"You gave him your Transponder snail contact?" Killer ventured after a moment.

"So what if I did? Maybe he'll want to join in on the alliance if he is going after the emperors." Kidd said scathingly, trying to cover up the fact that he had looked at the nearby snail briefly again.

Killer appeared to be giving Kidd an almost pitying look, but the redhead again could not tell due to the mask, "Or is it because you think he might be interested in continuing whatever you were doing last night?" Having sex was heavily implied in the blond's voice, but left unsaid.

Kidd flushed in a mixture of anger and embarrassment, "What the hell, Killer. Who the hell cares if he does or doesn't? Besides, he was drunk at the time when he found me last night. "

"And you didn't turn him away." Killer pointed out, clearly wondering why not.

Kidd simmered down, deciding that it just wasn't worth it to fight over, "I tried, but he was not taking no for an answer." Kidd frowned. "He was a little buzzed at that point, but he seemed..." Kidd searched for a word, before settling on, "Down. I dunno, he wouldn't leave."

"Kidd?"

Kidd glanced up, "What?"

"Is last night the reason you attacked the marines this morning, to let Law and his crew leave?"

Kidd was saved from providing a response to that, as Heat had burst into his cabin after knocking on the door hastily.

"Boss."

Kidd reclined in his chair, his embarrassment quickly gone as he flicked his gaze in Heat's direction, "Yeah?"

"Big Mom is on the move from the island she was on before, and so is Kaido, although it is mainly his forces that are on the move."

Kidd grinned. Finally, something interesting was happening. He could always figure out where Law had gotten to later, if the other captain happened to actually give him a call. Kidd rose out of his chair, "Where?"

"A few days sailing from our position."

Kidd was glad to be away from Killer's questions. He loved a good fight and getting into a scrap, as it was far more interesting than being badgered by his crewmate about his choice in bed partners. Not that Kidd didn't have questions about why he had done what he had last night, as well as why Law had come on to him in the first place with the façade of being drunk. Something to think about later.

Heat hesitated as he cast a glance Kiiller's way, before turning his eyes back to Kidd's, "Hawkins called a little while ago...he said that according to his readings he'd just made before the call, he believes that we are going to be late to the meeting spot that was agreed upon."

Kidd let out a nasty snigger, "That card reading idiot. What did he say the holdup would be? Reinforcements from the marines we just beat up hours ago?"

"There aren't any Marine ships in sight. Hawkins...he didn't say what it was."

Kidd brushed past both of his crewmates, laughing, "Well, whatever. We don't have to meet up with him and Apoo for a week anyway. Maybe he's just trying to slow things down."

-x-

Killer watched Kidd leave, before he followed after him, though he did pause next to Heat to murmur quietly, "You hesitated."

Heat glanced over his shoulder at their captain's retreating back, before speaking quietly in return, "Hawkins said that Law's gonna hold us up, but he wouldn't say how or why."

Killer nearly sighed. He knew that this was going to be a problem, but saw no point in trying to tell Kidd to avoid the other captain. Kidd would just be more likely to do just that if told not to.

Gunfire suddenly erupted on deck, distracting the two Kidd pirates.

"Marines!"

"Where did they come from?"

"Fire back!" Snapped Kidd from somewhere on deck.

Glad to have something to distract him from potential future problems, Killer headed out to join the rest of the crew, along with Heat. As Killer engaged the nearest marines that had hopped from a ship that certainly hadn't been there an hour ago, Killer figured he could ask Heat about what exactly the other captain had said. Perhaps Hawkins was mistaken with whatever reading he had done before calling them.

Killer dismissed the thought for the time being. There was no way one man could hold up an entire crew.

It just wasn't possible.


	5. Chapter 5

From the sight that greeted Penguin's eyes, he had known that he was correct in thinking that Law was far more exhausted than he had let on earlier. Penguin quietly shut the door as he entered the room, keeping the tray he held in one hand balanced. The weariness made sense, however, given the circumstances and what Penguin knew about the dark haired pirate. Law wouldn't want any of his crew to worry about him after all. Their captain would have hidden that weariness behind a shadow of his faint smirk and some random excuse. As if they didn't know what lay beneath that façade. As if the whole crew didn't know that Law was not himself when he had returned to them after being months apart, and apparently barely escaping from Dressrosa, based on his battered appearance when he finally showed himself to them.

With a slight shake of his head, Penguin took a few steps to the left and set a tray down on the small table next to where Law lay slumbering. It was late afternoon, and Penguin figured that Law would be hungry by now. He hadn't been eating as well lately, and Penguin had no doubt that it was due to the events in Dressrosa. That Penguin had been sidetracked by one of the articles in the newspaper that he and the crew had found had led to a delay in getting that food. Boa Hancock sure was beautiful, even in black and white. Penguin knew that a few of his crewmates were going to stick it up in the room they dined in, so they could comment on how nice it was for Luffy to have such a beautiful woman concerned about him. Penguin let out a sigh as he settled down on the chair in the room, and scooted it close to the side of Law's bed.

Now wasn't the time to be thinking about such things, even if the female warlord was quite a sight.

Penguin watched his captain sleeping, inwardly relieved that the dark haired man was able to get some rest after his near sleepless nights since he had come back to his crew. Penguin knew for a fact that Law had stayed awake for nearly three days upon his return, until Penguin managed to get one of the crew to slip something into Law's drink when he wasn't looking. Law had looked tired the next day when he finally rolled out of bed, but his mind was much sounder. More able to reason, instead of the panicked looks and reactions he would give a crewmate by acting as if he were going to strike them, until he realized where he was. And who he was with.

Penguin studied the shadows beneath Law's eyes. They'd always been there, but recently, they were far more pronounced. And while Law was able to get back into a sleep routine that didn't leave him making foolish mistakes fairly quickly, Penguin had to grudgingly admit that their captain had looked well rested when he and Shachi had found him in bed with Kidd that morning. Penguin frowned. He really hadn't thought much about Law's whereabouts that night, because he had been drinking. Which in the past ordinarily meant he would have passed out in his room until Shachi or Bepo or he himself woke him. And the faint, genuine smile Penguin and the crew had glimpsed when Kidd had somehow managed to drag it out of their oddly serious captain. That had been unexpected but very welcome. It meant that Law would recover from whatever had happened in Dressrosa, eventually.

"No…" Law mumbled, shifting slightly beneath the sheets, his brow creased in concern.

Penguin reluctantly left the troubling thoughts about Kidd behind for the time being, and focused his attention on his captain. Who currently appeared to be having some kind of nightmare. The dark haired pirate's brow creased further, and he looked anguished about something as a helpless sound left him, "Stop. Stop it…"

He was nearly pleading.

Penguin was intrigued by the display, but also faintly distressed that something like the sounds issuing from Law were even coming from his captain in the first place. Law, who had always been so confident, so smug, would never stoop so low as to beg and plead, unless it were something far out of his control and he was desperate. And since Penguin hated hearing his captain so vulnerable, the Heart Pirate reached out and gently rested a hand on Law's closest knee, and shook it gently, "Captain?"

Law woke with a gasp and looked at him, eyes wild, desperate. As if there was something he had been trying to do, but had failed miserably. It was only when the Heart Pirate captain saw where he was that he calmed marginally, and he focused on his crewmate, "Penguin…"

Penguin had retracted his hand as soon as he'd felt Law's leg jerk. Penguin looked at the dark haired pirate for a moment before he spoke, "Are you all right?" Obviously he was not all right but Penguin felt the need to distract Law marginally from what was bothering him so much.

Law gave his head a little shake, as if banishing whatever had been there before he'd woken, "It was…" Law ran a hand through his hair slowly, before he let it drop to the bed in order to steady himself in an upright position, "It was just a dream. I'm fine. It was nothing."

Penguin's expression was half hidden by his hat. He wore a frown and a gaze that clearly doubted his captain's words. But he didn't press for details, since it wasn't his place to question his captain. Instead, he stuck to business, "We got the paper earlier. There has been word that more alliances have formed between some of the supernovas, ourselves included with an update in one of the articles." Penguin saw that Law was giving him an alert look, and continued, "The navy said that they were going to contact you at some point to confirm Fujiorta's claim that you and Straw Hat Luffy formed an actual alliance, and not just one where he was your subordinate. If the claims prove true, the navy is planning on stripping your warlord title from you."

Law snorted, a little bit of the edge of sarcastic dismissal in his voice that made Penguin feel better. That the captain he and the rest of the crew had come to care for and admire was still there. If only buried beneath whatever was troubling him. "There is no need for them to contact me. It sounds more like an excuse to arrest me more easily. I already stated before that the alliance between myself and Straw Hat-ya was one of equals. That he was not my subordinate." Law shook his head. "It is only a matter of time before the government and the navy revoke my title, whether they speak to me or not. But it has already served its purpose. The SMILE factory is destroyed. And Caesar is out of everyone's grasp for the time being." Law smiled, though this one was only a shadow of his normal ones, "Though the end of my venture in Dressrosa gave me reason to believe otherwise. I had had no idea that the factory had been destroyed until we were well away from Dressrosa." Law looked away, "And far away from Joker."

Penguin stared at Law's slumped posture for a moment, before he ventured to speak again, "The navy, it seems, is getting something ready. There is strict secrecy, of course, so not much is known other than that."

Law lifted his gaze to Penguin's shadowed one, his brow rising with a faint quirk of his lips, "And that part was in the paper? It isn't much of a secret if it is where everyone can see it."

"Not that bit, no." Penguin admitted. "That part was just gossip in the town on the island we left earlier today." Penguin crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, "It is probably not the most reliable source of information, but you never know. Sometimes the townspeople's gossip has some truth to it, if they have nothing else to do but snoop on the government and the marines."

"Rumors are better than nothing, I suppose. It is good to know. Although the navy normally keeps anything important covered up until they are ready to go through with it." Law commented as he sat up all of the way and stretched.

Penguin indicated the tray of food with a jerk of his head, "You haven't had any breakfast. I had the cook make something. I figured that you would be hungry by now." The Heart Pirate crewmember watched Law turn to the food, though Penguin's expression darkened at the sight of Law's left bandaged forearm and the way he was favoring it, "I had the crew from the infirmary check on your stitches to see how they were taking, while you slept. Do you feel that they are in place?"

Law absently glanced down at his arm as he took a sip of water, "It feels all right to me. I'll wait a little longer, and then check to make certain that it is." The dark haired pirate bit into a rice ball, "Though I don't doubt the skill of my crew. I'm sure it's fine." Law side glanced at Penguin, "Did Shachi get through to Straw Hat-ya?"

"He mentioned that he did. It was a brief call, however. Apparently, Straw Hat Luffy and his crew ran into some trouble with the navy, so it will take them some time to reach the new rendezvous." Penguin offered a faintly amused smile, "His crew assured Shachi that they would convince their captain that it isn't wise to go to Zou if Doflamingo might be there." Penguin watched Law finish the first rice ball before moving on to the second one, "It sounded like Luffy wanted to 'go beat mingo up'. At least, that is what Shachi mentioned he said."

"He cannot go after him." Law said bluntly, an edge of anger to his voice as he looked over at Penguin, "He should know by now that it is a foolish thing to do. Joker nearly killed us. We were very fortunate that the navy interfered when they did. Otherwise, Joker would have been able to fully incapacitate me, and seriously injure Luffy in the process."

Penguin said nothing. Because he wanted to hear more. Law was talking about something that he hadn't yet brought up to Penguin or the rest of the crew. Penguin wasn't about to interrupt his captain as he continued to speak.

Law seemed to calm down as he continued, though his voice was distant, as if he were back in Dressrosa and seeing whatever it was he was speaking of, "Straw Hat-ya managed to land several strikes on Joker, but they only slowed him down slightly. He was playing around with us, enjoying himself immensely. Joker could have easily harmed Straw Hat-ya more than he had, or stopped him in his tracks completely." Law set the rice ball down, untouched, and touched his left forearm lightly, "Joker seemed to take a lot of pleasure in forcing me into attacking Straw Hat-ya. This injury…" Law traced the wound beneath the wrap of bandages contemplatively, "I did it to myself. As a distraction. It was difficult, but I managed to regain control over my right arm for an instant, and wasted no time in cutting myself." Law left the injury alone and eyed the food, "Joker wasn't happy that I did that, but it served its purpose. It gave Straw Hat-ya the opportunity to strike him while his guard was down, however briefly. After that…" Law looked away from the food, "Joker wasted no time in making sure that I wouldn't do something like that again. Not a minute later, Straw Hat-ya's allies arrived and aided us in our escape, as the the navy had decided to show up. I saw Joker as we were helped away…he was furious." Law settled back in bed, ignoring the rice balls and the water, lost in thought.

"You need to eat, Law." Penguin insisted after a moment's silence. He was thinking about what his captain had said. He'd known, figured, that things had been bad, but he had had no idea just how bad it had been. No wonder Law was down. To have an enemy treat you as not a threat, and worse, manipulate you into fighting your own ally…

Penguin turned in his seat to face Law, about to try and encourage Law into eating, when the transponder snail began to go off next to the tray of food. Penguin reached out and moved the snail within easy reach of his captain to answer.

Law sat up and nodded his thanks as he reached out and answered the call with his uninjured hand.

As soon as he heard the voice, Penguin wished that he hadn't let Law pick up, because the voice on the other end was the last person Law needed to be talking to right now.

The transponder snail grinned widely as the voice on the other end spoke in an admonishing tone, _"That was rather cold of you, Law. Leaving before we had even finished speaking to one another."_

Penguin didn't miss the faint shake that shook Law's entre frame as the voice registered.

Doflamingo.

Penguin grit his teeth. Why couldn't the other warlord leave his captain alone? Hadn't he done enough already?

Law squeezed the receiver in his hand, before he spoke, his tone calm and conversational, "I do not believe that there was a conversation going on at that point."

The snail laughed as the voice did, _"Fufufufu. Oh, but there was a little beforehand."_ Doflamingo's voice grew taut, _"And there will be much more when I have found out where you and Straw Hat Luffy have run off to."_

"We didn't run. We were merely avoiding the marines. Otherwise, we would have finished with you then and there." Law said coolly, though his hand was shaking slightly.

Penguin grew tense in his seat as Doflamingo just laughed away for a short time.

" _You seem to be confused, Law. Our little fight was not in any way in your favor."_ Doflamingo chuckled, _"Nor is leaving it before it was finished. I am not interested in pointless struggles. You have to know what will happen once you and I cross paths again? Don't you?"_

"Perhaps I will see Kaido standing over your corpse." Law mused with a faintly twisted smile, as if he knew it would be carried over in the snail's features before Doflamingo, "And if I have to endure a 'conversation' beforehand, I will survive long enough to see you dead afterward."

The transponder's snail's smile was replaced with a frown. When Doflamingo spoke, his voice was not at all cheerful. It was a cold, controlled fury, _"Say what you will, Law, but once I find you, we will have that talk. I highly doubt that you will be so carefree in wishing me dead after that."_

Penguin couldn't stand it anymore. It was clear that Law was becoming distressed the longer the call continued. Even though his captain might become upset with him what he was about to do, Penguin would do it anyhow. Penguin surged out of his chair with a practiced motion, and crossed the short distance to Law's bed. Penguin immediately snatched up the receiver from his captain's limp grasp, and stared at the snail. "You will never get the chance to meet Law face to face again. I won't allow it, and neither will the rest of us." Penguin's free hand snapped up to grip Law's wrist in an unwavering grasp and kept his attention on the snail as he blocked out his captain's quiet protests. Penguin was further angered with Doflamingo, because had Law been feeling better, he could have easily used his powers to take back what Penguin had moved out of his reach.

Doflamingo was silent for a moment, before the transponder snail grinned widely, and some of the amusement returned to older pirate's voice, _"Oh? That doesn't sound like Straw Hat Luffy, but it_ is _vaguely familiar…"_ Doflamingo was silent as if pondering, before he chuckled darkly, _"Fufufufu. You're on your ship, aren't you, Law? It is one of your crew that is speaking, isn't it?"_

Law tried to free his hand, but Penguin's grip was solid and unmoving. He tried anyway, since he had a feeling what Penguin was going to say, and didn't want things to go downhill so quickly. "Don't." Law hissed.

Penguin, for once, ignored Law as he answered Doflamingo, "Yes, it is, and I am going to keep the captain away from you." Penguin gripped the receiver, "And the rest of the crew will back me up."

"Penguin." Law insisted, even if it sounded like the dark haired pirate wanted nothing more than to yell, to get Penguin to be quiet. To not antagonize Doflamingo. To stop, before it was too late.

Penguin didn't care. He hadn't realized just how much Doflamingo had been tormenting his captain upon seeing him after a ten year absence. And added to that, Law not saying a word when he had returned to his crew. Bloodied and battered, with a haunted look in his eyes and lacking of any sort of a smile. Penguin glared at the snail from beneath his hat, holding his hand firm around Law's wrist as he felt his captain trying to free it, "You will have to go through all of us if you want to get to Law."

Whatever Law had been about to say was completely forgotten at those words. He honestly looked taken aback.

Doflamingo appeared to have been stunned as well, though he was quick to grin as he spoke, "You have such a loyal crew, Law. It'll be a shame to lose that, won't it?"

"He won't lose it." Penguin said firmly and hung up. He had had enough. Penguin felt Law's wrist go limp within his grasp, and he turned to look at the other man as he slowly let go, "Captain?"

Law's hand, once freed, immediately moved up to seize the collar of Penguin's shirt, "Do you know what you have done?"

"I wouldn't have said what I had if I didn't." Penguin said calmly in return. What he hadn't realized was just how strongly Law felt that he had made a mistake. Until he ended up on Law's bed on his back with Law's weapon out of its sheathe and hovering not an inch from his throat, Law's free hand still fisted in his shirt. Penguin held still as he glanced up, even though he knew that Law didn't have it in him to truly harm any of his crew, no matter if they crossed a line or not. Penguin eyed his captain's furious stare and the way his left arm shook from where he gripped his shirt, "You know that any of the crew would have said something similar."

Law angled the blade absently with his right hand as he glared down at Penguin and looked him in the eyes. The other man's hat had been knocked off as he'd landed on the bed, "You don't get it. It is irrelevant as to whether any of you would have said it or not." Law's voice wavered a fraction, "What _does_ matter is that you have made yourself and the rest of this crew a target of a very dangerous man."

Penguin blinked up at Law, and decided that he would much rather be sitting up. Calmly the Heart Pirate lifted his hand to the back of Law's blade, "You were not going to try and seek him out, were you? With Luffy?"

Law could obviously tell that the threat of his blade was doing nothing, so he set it aside after sheathing it. As soon as Penguin sat up, Law moved across the bed to seize Penguin by the collar again. And tugged him forward so that they were nearly face to face. "He will come after me whether I seek him out or not. And now he'll be thinking about what he could do to all of you before he deals with me." Law's grasp tightened, but his gaze dropped and he grit his teeth, "I tried to keep you and the rest of the crew out of his sight. It was why I insisted I go to Punk Hazard alone. Not because I was warlord. It was to keep all of you near Zou. I…" Law let go of Penguin and stared sown at the bed, "I didn't want any of you to be in harm's way from something from my past."

"We are your friends, Law. You do not need to leave us behind to protect us. We all would have been upset if Doflamingo had killed you back in Dressrosa. We would have questioned ourselves about whether or not there was anything we could have done to prevent it, had we been there with you."

Law slid back across the bed to clutch a pillow to his chest. He sighed, before he spoke softly, obviously not wishing to fight again, "I'll…eat later at dinner, Penguin. I want to be alone right now."

Penguin slid off the bed and picked up the transponder snail discreetly. "Get some rest, then." He left the room before Law noticed what he had taken with him. Penguin would remind Law later to warn the rest of the crew about Doflamingo. For now, they were travelling underwater, and were therefore safe from the warlord looking for Law.

For the time being.

-x-

Law woke up hours later than he had intended to rest, but it was good. It was late, and he would be able to eat in peace without Penguin or anyone else questioning him. Law glanced at his table, and noted that the snail was gone. A faint smile crossed his features, before it dropped as he rose. It figured that Penguin took it. The man was more on edge than he was, and the protectiveness was blatant in his actions. Law supposed it was only a matter of time before the rest of the crew displayed it as well.

After a short meal of fish and a rice ball or two, Law snuck into Penguin's room, and silently padded toward the bed. Law felt better, so he could always create a room, should the snail prove difficult to find.

It did.

With a shake of his head, though more out of fondness than anything that his crew was so loyal and protective, and more so as of late, Law held up a hand, and whispered softly, "Scan."

It took only a few moments to feel the presence of the snail, and twitching his free hand, Law soon had the transponder snail falling out of the air before him, and into his waiting hand. Law felt slightly dizzy, and supposed that he hadn't quite recovered as much as he had initially believed. No matter. He had what he had come for, and it didn't appear that he would need to make a quick getaway, because Penguin was still fast asleep. Law left the room and shut the door quietly, and headed back for his room, smiling as he saw that Bepo had ended up outside his room, dozing. He must have come after Law had gone to eat a late night snack…dinner…whatever. Law stooped and prodded his crewmate in his furry head, a tiny, genuine smile flashing across his lips as Bepo woke and beamed up at him.

"Captain!"

Law brought a finger up to his lips, hoping that Bepo wouldn't wake the nearer crewmates in their cabins, "Bepo. What are you doing, sleeping out here?"

Bepo appeared to have caught on to the quietness, and responded in a lower rumble, "The ship's drifted off course. We need some landmarks. I wanted to see if it was all right with you to surface the ship and find out where we are."

Law nodded absently, too tired to worry about it overly much. He highly doubted the Doflamingo would be flying about through the air at night anyway, "If you need it to find out where we are, then yes, take the ship up. Just dive as soon as you know where we are. We don't want the marines or Doflamingo pinning us down."

"Aye aye, captain!"

"Go on then." Law said, patting his fury crewmate on the shoulder, and watched the white bear move down along the hall. Law shook his head, unable to help another as he headed back into his room. It was just like Bepo to fall asleep if no one answered their door right away, but yet…Law shook his head. Why hadn't Bepo just surfaced? Law opened his door and entered, closing it behind himself thoughtfully. Perhaps Bepo was worried about him as well.

Law sat down on his bed, and stared at the transponder snail in his hand. Then looked at the scrap of paper on his table. He figured a late night call to taunt and or heckle Kidd might put him in a better mood, so he picked up the piece of paper and made the call.

Surely Kidd would be up this late.

-x-

Kidd was more than ready to go to bed after the fight he and his crew had been in against the marines. The destruction had been satisfying, but the gash in his side said otherwise. It was shallow, and didn't really hurt, but it was reminder that he did have to be careful on occasion when there were a lot of enemies to consider.

Well, that was what Killer had told him, and Kidd hated to admit when his crewmate was right about something.

Just as Kidd was about to drift off and sleep off the lingering pain of the wound that remained, his transponder snail went off. Kidd eyed it for a moment, before a grin crossed his features. He thought he knew who it was, and if he was right, the day, night, might end just a little better. Kidd picked the call up, a grin still plastered on his face. "I knew you'd call me."

The snail smirked faintly, though the dark haired man's voice was only mildly interested _, "Oh? And why would that be, Eustass-ya?"_

"Maybe it is because you slapped my ass before your crew interrupted us this morning?" Kidd ventured. He sure as hell had felt something lightly trailing over his lower back, and knew that it had to have been Law. Whether the other man had been fully awake was debatable.

_"Now I don't know about that. Are you sure you weren't dreaming?"_

Ass.

Kidd's smile lessened, but it was mainly because he was distracted by the tone Law had. It was lower, as if he were thinking about something. Kidd lounged on his bed, settling the snail down and tracing a hand on the sheets absently, "Why'd you leave so quick this morning?"

_"Due you very energetic show of letting me know that you were more of an animal in bed…"_ Law smiled, as if entertained by the notion, _"My crew felt it best to fix the stitches that had broken so that I would not bleed out_." The snail gave the impression of shrugging, _"And they left without my knowledge. When I woke up, the ship was already on the move. My crew has been…more protective of me as of late."_

"More like overprotective." Kidd grumped, at the thought of a wasted morning. He sure as hell had had the thought of exploring Law's body a bit more thoroughly in the daytime. A more close inspection of his tattoos for one, which he hoped would have led to other things. Quickly shutting down the idea that he wanted to screw around with Law, Kidd added, with a contemptuous snort, "And can't you take care of yourself?"

_"The protectiveness is due to returning to my crew bloodied and battered after I left Dressrosa."_ Law's voice was dark, as if he did not want to speak further on the subject.

Kidd actually picked up on the tone and changed subjects, "…Are you gonna make landfall?" So I can fuck you senseless was left unsaid, but Kidd felt that Law would have to have been a fool not to catch the undertone. He wasn't disappointed, as he was rewarded with the snail giving a delightfully wicked smile accompanied by a rather laidback response.

_"And why would you want to know that, Eustass-ya?"_

"I'm at a town right now that's got a lotta cliffs, getting supplies." Kidd poked the snail, as if he could prod the other man, "And I ain't done with you, so why don't you go there too?"

Law was amused, _"I do need to have the ship resupplied."_ And then, in a rather suggestive tone, the other captain innocently asked, _"And in what way are you not finished with me?"_

Kidd picked up on the sly, teasing tone, and grinned, his voice rough as he responded, "You're just gonna have to come and find out, won't you?"

The snail gave the impression of eye rolling, _"I am intrigued by your failure to hide your amorous intentions. Which island are you docked at? I will tell my navigator to chart a course there. If the log has reset yet, that is."_

"Cliff Rock. Unimaginative, huh?" Kidd stretched out on the bed, yawning, "It's only a couple of hours from the island we were on this morning." Kidd hung up, pleased by the idea that the next day would prove to be interesting, should Law actually show up. That he was looking forward to seeing the other captain only gave him momentary pause before he fell asleep.

-x-

Law had barely hung up when the snail went off again. Law eyed it for a moment, wondering who else would call him, other than Kidd. Maybe the redhead had wanted another parting shot. Law answered, his voice half amused and half exasperated. "Now what is it?" The amusement vanished as soon as the other voice spoke.

_"You seem to be in a good mood, Law. Did something good happen?"_ The snail grinned, _"I think you'll find yourself lacking that mood soon enough."_

Law's mouth went dry, "What do you want?"


	6. Chapter 6

Penguin had woken sometime in the night, and sleepily thought to go back to bed, when he realized that the snail he had taken from Law earlier was gone. Penguin groaned and sat up. He knew that Law would have noticed, but Penguin had hoped to keep it away from him at least until the morning, when he could sneak it into Law's cabin without him noticing that it had been gone in the first place.

Stretching, Penguin pulled his hat on and exited his cabin, walking down the short hall to Law's room, thinking to check and see if Law was still asleep. Penguin paused with his hand on the doorknob as voices drifted out from behind the door. Penguin blinked. Voices? He leaned up against the door, straining to hear what was going on. Dread filled him when he realized who his captain was speaking to.

Doflamingo.

" _I know you don't want anything to happen to your crew. Especially not that nosy one, who was sticking his nose into other peoples' business."_

"You will leave him out of this, Joker. And my whole crew, in fact. They have nothing to do with recent events. Only me."

Doflamingo's dark laugh rang clear, and Penguin gripped the doorknob tightly.

" _Oh, but they do now. It's cute, that they think they stand a chance to protect you from me."_

"It won't be necessary for them to do so."

Penguin felt the words twist his gut like a sharp knife. Law's voice had been a bitter calm, and Penguin hated it. Hated that Law would ever think to regard the crew in such a way. That they couldn't help him.

" _So you say, but can you go through with what we discussed earlier?"_

Law hesitated, Penguin noticed, before he heard his captain speak in a defeated, weary tone, "Yes."

" _Then you don't have anything to worry about, do you?"_ Doflamingo's voice was pleasant again. _"So long as you agree to stick to what you agreed to."_

Penguin knocked on the door, hard, and heard the startled gasp from Law, and the amused chuckle and quiet words of Doflamingo saying something that Penguin couldn't quite hear. The Heart Pirate crewmate entered the room, and found Law seated at his tiny desk. "Are you okay?"

Law avoided eye contact, even if he couldn't see his crewmate's eyes due to the hat, "Tell Bepo to chart a course to Cliff Rock. We need supplies."

Penguin nodded, "Right." He refrained from commenting on the fact that he had been eavesdropping, because he knew that Law knew he had. Penguin retreated from the room before Law chose to comment on it, and went on to find Bepo to relay the message.

Still, Penguin couldn't help but think, based on what he heard, that Law was up to something.

That it involved Doflamingo was cause for concern.

-x-

Locating the island had been easier than Penguin had thought, and since they would reach it by the morning, he figured that he could get some rest.

It didn't come easy, if at all.

Penguin ended up waking up later than the rest of the crew. He had been pondering late into the already late night, and had ended up falling into an exhausted, worried sleep. Penguin walked up on deck, and noted that they had indeed already surfaced, and were currently docked at a town that had a lot of cliffs with sloping roads that connected to one another for easier access. Penguin paused as someone called out to him from behind.

"The captain's gotten into a fight! I don't know how it happened, but he's fighting with Kidd. If it keeps up, I don't think we'll be able to resupply. Shachi and Bepo are trying to break things up."

'That idiot' stayed in Penguin's mind as he nodded to the crewmember that had spoken and strode off. He left the ship and hurried into town, and past the throng of people crowded together. The bystanders wore varied expressions from horror to fascination as they watched the two Devil Fruit users fight with one another.

Penguin reached the edge of the crowd, and saw his crewmates as they tried to intervene, as Kidd's crew tried to do similarly, without success. None of them seemed to want to get too close should they get caught in between the fray of sharp metal bits flying around and a wide range of that metal being hacked to pieces.

Penguin swiftly assessed the situation, before he threw himself into the middle of the ongoing fight. He was confident he could hold out for a short while, if only to get his captain to come to his senses. Law's reaction was immediate as the fall of the long blade halted abruptly. Kidd's gathering of metal, however, did not stop, so Penguin had to hastily side step the attack while Law created another room and warped to just behind Kidd with a sweep of his blade.

Kidd's left limb snapped up to block the blade, before they broke apart again and made another sweep of their respective weapons at one another. The two captains came to an halt as Penguin intervened again and knocked aside Law's attack by striking his captain's right arm and making the blade go wide of the other captain. Penguin spun and ducked beneath Kidd's attack, barely, before the Heart Pirate lurched up and halted with one hand straight out and up to Kidd's throat.

The fight ended abruptly as Law and Kidd appeared to snap out of whatever rage they had been in that had caused the tussle to begin in the first place.

Kidd hated that Penguin had interfered in a fight that wasn't his to participate in, when he realized where the other man's hand was. Kidd cursed inwardly when he noted that the shorter man was in a good position to do some damage to his exposed throat. The redheaded captain kept the metal gathered around one arm, thinking about striking the dorky hat wearing bastard a blow. The metal was only inches away from the other's back. Unfortunately, the fingertips lightly pressed to his throat made Kidd think otherwise, as he had to wonder if he could hit him before Penguin dealt him a nasty strike in return from being up close and personal. Kidd flicked his gaze down and was surprised that he could see pale eyes narrowed at him, even if the hat still kept them shaded for the most part. But that gaze...what the fuck was Law thinking, having someone like this in his crew? The other man looked like he would be more than happy to break Kidd in half, and start with his throat first before systematically dealing with the rest of him.

“If you hurt my captain, I'll happily repay you tenfold.” Penguin warned quietly as he caught and held Kidd’s gaze.

"Like you could beat me in an actual fight."  The red head couldn’t help but laugh at Penguin’s threat and actions in general. 

Penguin's fingertips rested heavier against the redhead's throat, "Would you care to test that theory? The captain may have an interest in you right now, but if it causes him any harm, I will find you and do something about it. He's been through enough bullshit that he doesn't need any more right now."

Kidd shifted slightly, a faction, really, and Penguin merely moved with him. Fuck, seriously, what the hell was Law thinking when he picked his crew? He could all but feel the animosity rising off this bastard, and there wasn't much he could do if Penguin decided he wanted to try and kick his ass. That in and of itself was funny as hell, considering Kidd felt he would be able to crush the idiot if he had enough room and wasn't being menaced in quite a humiliating way. Kidd stared down at Penguin as he offered a nasty smile, "I could always have one of my crew shoot you in the back."

Law saw, from where he was stood, that Penguin now offered Kidd a bared tooth smile in return, and knew that his crewmate was getting a little carried away. Apparently from whatever Kidd had just said. No matter how amusing the situation was, Law knew he had to end it, before Penguin actually did anything to Kidd. He knew that his crewmate was perfectly capable of some nasty damage from where he was currently standing. And from where his fingertips rested, which set him up to do some damage to Kidd’s windpipe if nothing else. For now, Law felt that he wanted Kidd in one piece, if only to be able to tease him about it later and let him know how perilously close Penguin had come to just snapping his neck and being done with him then and there. Law wasn't the only one who had issues. Penguin was just better at hiding his. Which Law knew he would have to confront him about sooner or later, from what he’d seen of his crewmate recently. All the business with Dressrosa was bringing out things in Penguin that Law hadn't seen in years. Law rested his now sheathed nodachi against his shoulder and spoke up, his voice sharp and commanding, with a hint of warning, "That's enough, Penguin. Stand down."

Kidd was baffled when Penguin immediately relaxed his stance before he turned away and headed over to his captain without a word. As if Kidd were now unimportant, as the Heart Pirate had made his point clear, and Law had told him off. Kidd bristled at how quickly Law's crewmate had invaded his space and all but made it clear that he could have easily incapacitated him. Where the hell had that come from? And the half glance the idiot threw him left Kidd confused, and wondered if perhaps it was because…

Penguin walked right up to Law, his voice not in the least bit amused for what he had seen. Interestingly enough, he seemed unperturbed that he had just basically threatened someone who appeared more than capable of crushing him without a moment's thought. The only remaining inkling that he was still in a bad mood was the crisp tone he was currently used.

"Captain. We need supplies. We are running low on everything. Again.  If you and Kidd destroy the town, we will have to leave and go elsewhere. And the supplies will run out long before the log pose resets and we reach another island." Penguin's voice dropped so that only Law could hear him, "And if word gets out of two supernovas picking a fight, Doflamingo might get word of it too and come to investigate."

Kidd was surprised to see a flash of anger cross Law's face before it dissipated into a wry smile as he spoke in return to his crewmate.

"Get the rest of the crew to get the supplies. I'll be back to the ship in a few hours." Law gave a meaningful look in Kidd's direction, "I was not finished with him yet."

Kidd grinned at that, and knew from the other's tone and look in his eye that they were done fighting.

Penguin shook his head disparagingly as he watched his captain walk off in the direction of an inn with Kidd trailing along after him. It really wasn't his business whom his captain slept with, but still, he had meant it when he had said to Kidd that Law had enough to be dealing with.

"Penguin? You're bleeding."

Penguin looked at Shachi, who had spoken, and then down at his right arm. There was a small gash. He hadn't noticed that before. When had that happened? "It's fine." It was. He'd had worse wounds. This one seemed relatively small compared to what he had received in the past.

"No, go get it taken care of. Bepo and I can get the rest of the crew to go get those supplies." Shachi was giving Penguin a strange look.

Penguin gave in. He was rather out of breath from the short fight, he supposed. Kidd's strikes were hard, and Penguin found himself glad that he had learned to master armament haki. And the fact he'd had a dagger concealed beneath the sleeve of his arm he'd blocked with let him know just how much raw power Kidd had in him to break through his haki without seeming aware of it. The dagger was done for but at least the cut he'd received was not as bad as it could have been. With one final look in the direction Law had gone, Penguin headed back to the ship. He knew that he had some explaining to do, both to Law and his crewmates, for how worked up he had gotten that he had needed Law to snap him out of it. Penguin paused to stare at his hand. How easy it would have been, he mused, to take down a 470 million bounty, with the right amount of pressure applied...

"Penguin." Shachi warily watched his crewmate, especially when he stopped walking, "Are you all right, Penguin?" Shachi stilled as Penguin glanced over his shoulder at him. The smile he received was not one of the pale eyed man’s usual smiles, and was not at all reassuring.

"I'm fine. I'm going back to the ship. The wound isn't that deep."  Penguin said, his thoughts clearly still elsewhere.

Shachi watched Penguin walk away, before letting out a slow sigh, "That's not the problem..." Had Shachi been able to see Penguin's eyes, he would have known that something was troubling the other man, and that it wasn't the fight that he had just intervened in that was the problem.

-x-

The journey to the inn had been uneventful. Getting a key to a room had been so as well, other than to give the innkeeper a pointed glare not to say anything. Not that the poor man would have, from the way he'd merely given the key up without even asking for any payment for the room.

However, as soon as the door to the inn room had closed and locked, Kidd found himself facing a completely different Law than he had been just minutes ago, when they had been out for one another's blood. Only now, the dark haired pirate was making it perfectly clear that he wanted something else from Kidd.

Kidd felt the sly smirk Law gave him head south immediately, and he cursed his body for being so easy to arouse with merely a look. Something he didn't think capable of from the other man. Kidd watched Law's every move. Where he leaned his weapon against his chair. What he was doing with his hands. Then, realizing that he was staring, Kidd shook his head and growled, trying to regain some control over himself, "What the hell is your problem?" And Kidd meant it in the way of why Law had begun their fight in the first place.

"I merely did not want your crew to think that you were only interested in doing things with your other head." Law pointedly looked down at the obvious bulge in Kidd's pants, "And as for the other reason? I do not like to give in to something very easily, and if fighting you took away what your crew thought you had in mind, all the better for me."

"We're gonna fuck anyway, and the crew will know it. We did come here alone." Kidd felt that he needed to point that out, since he could see the other man was in a similar state as himself. Aroused and obviously trying to find a way to make this encounter acceptable, since he was not at all drunk this time around.

"They did not see you enter the inn with me." Law pointed out as he turned, though he allowed Kidd to back him up against a wall. He did flinch ever so slightly when Kidd caged him in, and hated that redheaded captain's eyes narrowed suspiciously at that.

Deciding that he could think about the other captain's odd effect on him later, Kidd leaned in and traced his lips along Law's neck, "Hm…you are kinda on edge. Something wrong?"

"Like you care about my problems. It is not your business, and has no immediate effect on you and you venture of crushing the four emperors."

Kidd grinned at that and bit down on the juncture of Law's neck and shoulder, smiling against the skin when Law writhed faintly at the action. Kidd let the pressure stay, before letting up and licking the bite, "Could have fooled me." Kidd felt Law's hands trail along his waist, and decided that meant Law was in the mood after all. And then Kidd had to go and ruin it by saying something that he figured he shouldn't have, because Law froze in place, "Is it about Doflamingo?"

"I would rather not say at this point in time." Law hedged as he ran his fingertips lightly along Kidd's skin, "Unless you want to talk instead of doing this?" This being Law sneakily dipping his fingers along the redhead's waist.

"Like hell." Kidd scoffed, and pressed Law up against the wall heavily, letting his hands, metal and flesh, rove over Law's clothed body slowly, as if trying to decide which article of clothing should come off first. A thought came to mind, and he lifted Law's shirt up and over the man's head as he growled irritably, "Why the fuck did that bastard get in the way of our fight?"

"Penguin?" Law's voice was muffled from where his shirt had gotten caught on his head and arms, "What about him?"

Kidd tugged the shirt off impatiently before he closed in on Law and let his hands roam over him again, enjoying the way Law moved when he touched him. "Is he so protective of you because he is jealous?" Kidd felt Law's hand dig through his hair and impatiently remove his goggles and toss them off to the side somewhere. Kidd had to tell him not to do that, if this became a common occurrence.

Law had furrowed his brow at the redhead, "Jealous? Whatever did you get that idea?"

Kidd decided that Law was genuinely confused, and backed away a little to peer down at him, "For sleeping with you the other night." Why else would Penguin be giving him such dirty looks? It made more sense to Kidd that the other man would be jealous, from the actions he had displayed. Coming to get Law the morning after, and interrupting a fight in which he had threatened Kidd.

Law was startled into laughter, not expecting that at all, "Why would you think that? Penguin is not interested in me like that at all. He is merely concerned for my wellbeing and does not believe that you are."

"Are what?" Kidd asked, distracted as he groped around Law's waist and removed his belt. He felt slim hands cup his jaw and tilt his head down.

Law was wearing a tiny smile, "You, idiot. He doesn't think that _you_ are good for my wellbeing. As should have been obvious when he had a hand to your throat." Law wasn't sure why Penguin had bothered. Kidd didn't have the necessary attention span to be afraid. Law wouldn't have been at all surprised if Kidd had just continued the fight, even with the clear threat Penguin had undoubtedly leveled at him.

Kidd snorted, though he was clearly distracted by the sensation of Law's hands at either side of his face. "Not good, huh? Because I fucked you enough that you couldn't walk straight?" Kidd pointedly ignored the jibe of Penguin threatening him, and he breathed a little more heavily as Law leaned in to give him a peck on the lips, but nothing more. Kidd damn near pouted until he saw Law give him a teasing little smile, fingertips trailing along the red head's jaw, "Perhaps, but you had to have some trouble too, right?"

"...what?" Kidd asked, as his eyes had half closed at Law's caresses of his jawline, and when they dipped lower down his neck, and along the scars on the left side. Kidd shuddered softly and leaned in to the other's touch, missing the amused curve of Law's lips as he continued to assail Kidd's scars with his fingertips.

"And not the night before. I mean a few minutes ago. Penguin could have killed you, you know. He was considering it too. I could tell how close he was to going through with it, regardless of your crew being nearby." Law stated, as he continued to trail his hands absently.

Kidd growled something and stopped Law's hands, although he couldn't prevent Law's lips that continued to assail him, "Didn't...seem that way." Damn, it was getting harder to form words. What the hell?

Law let up on the touch and leaned back as he tilted his head to peek up at Kidd, "I saw otherwise. I know him. When he bared his teeth at you. What in the world did you say to get him to that point?" Penguin had remarkable self control. Sure, he and some of the crew were inclined to being ridiculously enthralled by Boa Hancock that one time, and could be generally silly when they wanted to be for whatever reason came along. Penguin as well, if he were around Shachi and the others. However, given the state of things as of late, Law was not surprised in the least that Penguin's control had been steadily slipping. "He does not lose control often, unless provoked in certain ways." Kidd had better think on his words carefully, or this little encounter of theirs was not going to end on the bed.

Kidd didn't think it was a good idea to say it, with Law so close, but did anyway, not really seeing the threat he had given that big a deal. He'd have threatened it to anyone, if he had ended up in a similar position, "Said I could have one of my crewmates shoot him if he tried attackin' me." Kidd felt Law go rigid, and had enough presence of mind to keep his hands tight around the other captain's wrists. Especially when Law shot him a venomous look.

"Perhaps I should have allowed Penguin to knock you around a little. Not that he would have been able to hold himself back, after you goaded him." Law said, as he tried to free himself and failed as Kidd's hands gripped tighter around his wrists. "You were lucky I was able to call him off. A few moments longer and I might not have been able to."

Kidd was silent, before he was distracted by Law leaning up on his toes and kissing him. What the fuck? That sure as hell distracted Kidd as he immediately let go of Law's wrists to wrap his arms around him. Kidd winced slightly when Law seized him by either side of his head so that they were looking one another in the eyes.

"We aren't finished with this, understood?" Law eyed the redheaded captain darkly for a moment, before the expression was replaced with an exasperated, if lusty, one, "I am currently distracted enough that I will let the issue slide for the moment." At that, Law leaned in and started to run his hands along Kidd's sides, before he nipped the side of the other pirate's neck, "Bed." Law said simply, as he gave Kidd a slight shove in the chest when the other man had all but let go of him to allow him access to his shoulder.

Kidd blinked as Law's hands dropped, and he was met with the smirking gaze of the other captain. What the hell? It sure seemed like the Penguin issue wasn't going to be dropped so easily, so why was Law...? And then he realized he was slightly cold and looked down briefly. Holy shit. Kidd hadn't realized that Law had sneaked his pants off of him when he'd been distracted by the soft touches. When had that happened? "Bed." Kidd repeated, as if it were a foreign word.

That appeared to amuse Law, as he encouraged Kidd to walk backward, until the back of his legs bumped into the bed, "Yes, bed. You know, for sleeping…" Law's smirk became wicked, "And other activities." He hadn't forgotten what Kidd had said about Penguin, but he was rather in the mood, so most unfortunately, Law would have to wait to deal with Kidd until later. The dark haired captain supposed he had to allow for the fact that Kidd couldn't have possibly known that the shooting comment would have affected Penguin so much.

Kidd seemed to regain control over himself as he sat down on the bed and threw Law an irritable look as he complained, "No fair going after my scars, you son of a bitch."

Law crawled onto his lap and rested his arms over Kidd's shoulders, in a remarkably similar position when the Heart Pirate had first bothered Kidd in his room the other night, pretending to be drunk. Only, they had both been clothed at the time. Not naked as they were now.

Kidd blinked as he looked himself over, and Law, though a tad more slowly, "Huh." When had the rest of his and Law's clothes been removed? Hands traced his jaw, and Kidd tuned his attention to Law, who was smirking at him confidently, "What the hell is so damn funny?" Other than the fact that they were naked and feeling each other up, when Law had looked ready to fight him again just moments earlier.

Law gave the other captain a solemn once over, before he smiled again, "You." And at that, he ground down against Kidd sharply, and dragged his fingers along his back hard enough that it left scratches in its wake.

"Shit." Kidd cursed, as he suddenly realized just how damn hard he was and how Law was in a similar state, despite the initial snag they'd run into. Again, he tried to figure out how it'd gotten to this so quickly, but with Law in his lap, obviously eager, it seemed utterly irrelevant why they didn't have clothes on anymore. Therefore, it was not a concern right now. What was a concern, however, was who was going to end up topping this time around.

Law must have noticed, because he gave an exaggerated sigh as he leaned up against the redhead. "I'm tired." Again with the sly grin, "Want to see if you can live up to the other night?"

Kidd dropped his right hand and gave Law's backside a casual squeeze, "Asshole. You are't tired at all. You're just lazy right now."

"Maybe. Are you complaining?" Law rested his hands on Kidd's shoulders again, "Because I could change my mind."

"No need." Kidd said with a girn, and he tilted backwards, taking Law with him. He sure as hell wasn't going to give Law free reign over him, not right now, just in case he chose to take up the Penguin issue in the middle of it. Gripping Law with both arms, Kidd turned them over and pinned the dark haired pirate on the bed, and smirked triumphantly down at the other man.

And made good on Law's words.

Law, for the most part, didn't mind Kidd using the lubrication that he had had in a pocket, though he did take the opportunity to swat Kidd over the head lightly when he moved his fingers too quickly, "I am not going anywhere, you idiot. Slow down."

Kidd nuzzled his head along Law's stomach, breathing out lightly as he kept his right hand occupied, "Shut up. Don't complain. Besides, your body sure as hell ain't."

Law shifted as he frowned and rested a hand in Kidd's hair and gave it a ruffle, "Slower." He insisted, but didn't bother to hold back to small moan that slipped out.

Kidd smirked at that before he did as Law asked, even if he wanted to move things along and get to the good part. The part where he screwed Law into the bed and heard him beg for it. Or at the very least, insist that he move faster. He liked it when Law had goaded him when they had had sex the other night. It made things hotter and more enjoyable to hear the son of a bitch as he attempted to order him around. "Hey, Law?"

"Hm?" Law was feeling pretty good at this point, even if Kidd hadn't even gotten around to fucking him yet. Fingers could only do so much, "What is it?"

Kidd removed his fingers, rooting around for the bottle of lotion that he had misplaced between now and the last minute or so, "Why is Doflamingo after you anyway?"

That punctured Law's good, lusty mood as he half sat up and twined a hand tightly into Kidd's hair, which caused the redhead to go still with his hand around the lotion bottle. The Heart Pirate's voice was rigid, "Why do you ask?" Law felt Kidd's other hand trail along his thigh lightly.

"Just wonderin'. He doesn't, you know…" Kidd's right hand dropped and ran along Law's member as question. Though he also did it because he wanted to, if only to get Law to writhe some more. It was an interesting sight.

Law bit his lip at the touch, though his hand relaxed a little as he shooed Kidd's hand away and dropped back on the mattress. "Doflamingo is not interested in me as a potential lover. If that is what you are implying. He merely wants me to be back in his crew, and he will not take no for an answer, no matter what I say." Law heard Kidd about to speak again, and he reached out to swat him lightly again, "No questions. I don't want to think about it."

"Fine." Kidd wanted to know more, but decided that if he pissed Law off he would be taking care of himself in the bathroom. And perhaps the Penguin issue would be dragged up sooner than he wanted it to be. Kidd got out some more lotion, before he shoved Law's legs around to his liking, and pressed close to the dark haired pirate as he breathed against his throat, "Is this okay?"

Law wrapped his arms around Kidd's neck, and glared up at him, "Don't think about it and just do it already."

Kidd did. With enthusiasm.

Kidd enjoyed the sudden cursing as well as the moans that mixed in, though as soon as he was done, Kidd should have known that Law was up to something. Well, Kidd only realized it when, an hour or so later, he felt Law's breath against his ear, along with a playful lilt to the other man's voice, and his touch.

"My turn."

-x-

Law woke up feeling more relaxed than he had been in the past 12 hours, if rather sore. Law realized that the only reason he'd woken so abruptly was because his transponder snail was going off again. Probably his crew. Shachi or Penguin or Bepo. Law answered the call, and his stomach dropped as he realized with a stab of dread that it was Doflamingo again.

Doflamingo hadn't even bothered to wait for Law to speak _. "You won't be running around free for much longer. You know that you are of more use to me alive than if the marines arrest you and strip you of your title, before sending you off to Impel Down or the gallows."_

"I will not go back to your crew. I have changed. I am not the same as I once was, and our interests no longer coincide." Law stated grimly, as he glanced down to make sure that Kidd was still fast asleep.

Doflamingo laughed, _"You will come back, if you want your crew to be safe from harm."_

"You plan to kill them whether I come to you or not." Law felt he had to flat out state that, because he didn't doubt that Doflamingo would do just that given the opportunity.

Doflamingo's grin stretched the snail's features, _"I most certainly will kill them if I have to come and take you back by force. If you agree to come willingly, as we spoke of before, I and my crew will not harm yours."_ Law was doubtful, and Doflamingo must have known it, because he added, _"If you stay behind in Cliff Rock."_

Law was not at all surprised that Doflamingo figured out where he was currently anchored. Law glanced down at the slumbering Kidd again, thought about his crew, before he spoke with obvious reluctance, "All right." He would do just about anything to keep his crewmates out of harm's way, even if it meant doing something he didn't want to.

Doflamingo sounded pleased with the answer, _"I will be there in a few hours. You had better not run this time."_ He hung up.

Law ran his hand through the sleeping Kidd's hair lightly as he hung up. The Heart Pirate captain knew what he had to do, and he wasn't looking forward to it one bit. At the very least, Kidd was going to be spared a lengthily discussion of just why Law had been so furious to learn of the threat Kidd had given Penguin. Law got out of bed and steadied himself. The only thing to do now was to go and take of a few things before Doflamingo showed up. Law retrieved his clothes and dressed, before he grabbed his sheathed blade. With one final look at Kidd, the Heart Pirate left.

-x-

Kidd woke up, and while disappointed marginally, he was not surprised to find that Law was already gone. Kidd was a little offended, but he soon decided that he would see the man again at some point in their travels. Kidd stretched out and yawned. He had forgotten to ask about forming an alliance, due to obvious reasons of the sexual kind. And the earlier sparring match. Oh well. Another time then. Kidd figured that an alliance with the Heart Pirates would be good in terms of firepower if that also included Straw Hat Luffy and his crew, but it would also give Kidd an excuse to spend nights with Law occasionally, should the other captain still be interested.

"Kidd?"

The redheaded captain buried his face into a pillow and made a noncommittal grunt. It felt too early to be having any conversation, and especially not with Killer.

"We've gotten the supplies loaded onto the ship. We're ready to leave if you've finished playing around."

Damn, Killer sounded pissed, though Kidd knew it was more that he'd let his guard down around Penguin than him having sex with Law. "Another hour." Kidd mumbled into the pillow, and clearly heard a sigh of exasperation.

"Acting like a child is not very captain-like." Killer commented. "Although I am not surprised given your activities last night."

Kidd groaned again and felt himself waking up more. Which was probably Killer's plan all along, "Dammit. Fine, I'll get up."

"I'll let the crew know we're ready to leave when you deign to show up."

"Asshole." Kidd growled half-heartedly as he heard the door close.

-x-

"Has the captain said when we're leaving?"

Shachi glanced over at the crewmate who had spoken, before he shrugged, "Not yet. Captain said he wanted to wait for a bit and see if there were any more movements from Kaido."

"Where is the captain?"

"He and Penguin were going to look at some charts." Bepo provided as he walked by.

Shachi caught sight of Law walking along the hall, with a tray, "We haven't heard anything yet, captain."

"Keep an eye and ear out for anything unusual." Law said in return as he walked by.

"Aye, captain." Shachi responded, and turned away. He couldn't help but notice that Law appeared to be withdrawn again, but shook the troubling thought away. He was probably just tired.

-x-

Law entered his cabin and set the tray down on the table. He knew that Penguin would be there shortly. Law sat down on his bed. He could only hope that his crewmate would forgive him for what he was about to do. Just thinking about it made him feel terrible, as it was a poor way to repay his crewmate for the actions he took while breaking up his and Kidd's fight. But it had to be done, and Law felt that Penguin, at least, would understand why he had done it, once he realized what had happened.

The dark haired pirate traced the small vial in his pocket. All it would take was a brief distraction on Penguin's part, and the deed would be done. Law glanced up when the door opened, and nodded to his crewmate as he indicated the tray. "I haven't had time to eat yet."

Penguin sat down on the chair across from Law, and eyed the food. "I suppose I have not either."

Law reached out and poured the wine, "Then have some. I do not think I can reason if I don't eat something first."

"And have something to drink." Penguin said, bemused, as he watched Law fill the glasses.

"You don't have to have it if you don't want it." Law said of the wine, as he pulled a plate toward him, "I just feel like I need a drink after the past few hours."

Penguin was silent as he took a plate, before he agreed, "I believe I need a drink after all."

"Your arm is fine?"

Penguin looked up from the food, "Yes, it was shallow. Nothing to worry about."

"Good."

The two fell into a silence as they ate, though Law was wondering what went through his crewmate's mind. Surely he thought Law might bring up the fight with Kidd, but right now, Law didn't want to. He didn't want to dredge up any painful memories for Penguin. After all, he was about to get a rather nasty one, courtesy of a captain he trusted. Law hated himself, but hated Doflamingo more for forcing him to make this choice in the first place.

As soon as they had finished their lunch, they were down to business in the span of five rice balls, two roasted fish, and a mysterious substance that neither had touched. The cook had claimed it was mashed potatoes, but neither Penguin nor Law were willing to give the substance the benefit of the doubt. The wine, however, went well with the fish.

"Penguin? Could you grab the chart that's behind you?" Law questioned, as he indicated the small bookshelf behind him as his hand reached for his glass of wine.

Penguin twisted in his seat and spotted the chart relatively quickly. He reached out and grabbed it, and turned back to lay it out on the table. He did not notice Law's guilty expression, nor the faint clinking right before, but the guilty expression was gone as soon as they looked down at the chart together.

"Is there any reason you needed this particular one?" Penguin didn't think that it was needed. They'd already been in these waters. Why had Law asked him to grab it? It wasn't any use to them where they were right now.

Law took a sip from his wine glass, and looked a little abashed as he sighed, "I must have switched the charts around. I've been a bit distracted as of late."

"I have noticed." Penguin commented as he took a few sips of his own wine, "Do you have any idea where the other one might be?" He hoped the crew wouldn't have to be pulled from their current duties to go map hunting because Law had misplaced it.

"I think I may have given it to Bepo." Law set his drink down and rose from the side of his bed.

Penguin took a few more sips, before he set the glass aside as well and wondered at his captain's mind. If nothing else, it would be good for Law to distract himself with something mindless. Something that he didn't really have to worry over much. It was just a map. Just a...Penguin blinked as he splayed one hand against the table. That was odd. Something didn't quite feel right in his own mind. His thought process was almost beginning to feel...disjointed. It was similar to the time that he had drunk far too much alcohol. A time he'd rather forget, actually. Nothing good came of those memories anyway. Wait...what had he been thinking about before? Maps? Penguin set his other hand on the table, shaking slightly as he attempted to hold himself steady. He felt sluggish, and that didn't seem right either. Penguin barely heard Law stand and clear away the tray and glasses. It was only when Penguin felt Law wrap an arm around his waist firmly, and helped him out of his seat that Penguin realized what had happened. And couldn't believe it. Didn't want to believe it, "You put somthin…my drink…" Penguin slurred in accusation, trying to fight Law's grip but failing as his body refused to listen to him.

"I did." Law didn't sound happy about it. "It should wear off in an hour or less. I didn't put much in. There shouldn't be any negative side effects."

Penguin dimly heard Law say "room" before they were suddenly in Penguin's cabin, and Law was helping him to lie down. When had they reached his bed so quickly? Penguin felt his hat removed, and blearily looked up at his captain with a mixture of confusion and betrayal. That Law would do this to him. After what he had told Law of his own past. What little of it he had been willing to divulge. But even that didn't matter right now. It would later, when he could wrap his mind around things when his thought process was clear. What did matter this instant was that Law only would have done this to him if he had been left with no other choice. Penguin wanted to protest, but whatever Law had laced his drink with was taking him down, and taking him down fast. He felt foolish for not thinking that something like this might happen, and the only reason it would was because Law likely wanted to stop him from interfering with whatever he was about to do.

Penguin thought he heard an apology from the other man, but he wasn't sure as he went down the rest of the way into unconsciousness.

And the single fear that the only reason Law had done this to him was to keep him from doing something, and the only thing Penguin could think of was wanting to stop Law from making a terrible mistake. To prevent him from going back to a particular individual.

Doflamingo.


	7. Chapter 7

Law left Penguin to slumber in his drug induced sleep, and closed the door behind him as quietly as he could. He hated himself right now, because he had felt a surge of guilt at the sight of Penguin's dual expression of confusion and betrayal. Confusion, for why Law had spiked his drink in the first place, and betrayal, due to something they had discussed years and years ago. That Law would never do to Penguin what had happened to him in the past. And Law had just broken his word and done one of those things. By drugging his drink. At least it had only been a sleeping one, and nothing insidious, that could have...

"Captain?"

Law titled his head and caught sight of Shachi heading toward him. Law nodded his head in acknowledgement of his crewmate, before indicating Penguin's room with a thumb over his shoulder, "Try not to have the crew bother Penguin right now. He's come down with a bit of a fever."

"Was his wound infected?" Shachi looked concerned. He was obviously thinking of the metal that Kidd had used.

Law shook his head, "No, not from that. He was lucky in that regard. I think he will sleep it off, but still, try to keep it down."

Shachi nodded his understanding, "Right. And when are we casting off?"

Law still felt some lingering guilt over what he had done to Penguin, but knew that it was now or never to go through with his plan. "We'll leave in an hour. If there is no news forthcoming, we may as well get underway." Law began to walk down the hall, "I'm going to go get some sleep."

"See you in an hour then?" Shachi questioned.

Feeling a stab of dread, Law couldn't bring himself to look back and merely said, "Yes" and Law continued on to his room, as he said he would. However, he could only wait a few minutes before he used a room, and left the ship. Law ended up halfway into town, having switched places with a crate he had seen there earlier in the day.

With a heavy heart and the disheartened feeling of having betrayed the good nature of his crew, by again not telling them the whole truth, Law headed through the town. The dark haired pirate weaved through the oblivious crowd of townspeople, and made his way toward the outskirts of town, far away from where his ship and crew were docked. If nothing else, he wanted to give them time to get away, before Doflamingo decided to change his mind and go after them anyway. Law rested his blade against his shoulder as he waited and scanned the skies with a careful eye. He didn't want to do this. He'd rather die than end up having to work for Doflamingo again. But if it meant that his crew would be safe, Law was willing to do it. Even if he wished he had more options than the ones he had been forced to take. Law shoved back the 'what if's' as he spotted a speck in the sky, headed directly toward him.

The dark haired pirate braced himself; his hand dropping his sword's hilt as Doflamingo soon came crashing down to land only a few yards from him. Since he had nothing to say to the older man, Law was quite content to wait for Doflamingo to speak.

Doflamingo appeared highly amused with the cold reception he received as his smile only grew wider, "I thought you might try and run. It's a pity that you are so loyal to your crew, Law."

"Perhaps, but if you think I'm coming quietly, you do not know me at all." Law whipped his blade out of its sheathe, "Room." He wasn't going to waste any more breath on Doflamingo, other than to attack. If Doflamingo saw fit to end him, he didn't care. His crew was safe, and he would give them time to get further away from this place. "Scalpel." Law growled as he warped to just behind Doflamingo and struck out with one hand. He clipped Doflamingo's feathery pink jacket as the taller man dodged out of the way. Law twisted with him this time around, so that he did not get struck by the long leg as he had before. It still clipped him with enough force that made him stumble but the strike made it clear. Doflamingo was trying to bring him under control. He was not interested in permanently incapacitating him, or killing him. Law guessed that he should have known better.

"Fufufufu. I suppose you won't." If anything, the older pirate merely sounded amused rather than angry with Law's actions. "It doesn't matter to me though. It is only a matter of time before you wear yourself out."

That spurred Law on, however, and made him dare to warp closer and closer to Doflamingo in an attempt to strike him, only to be forced to take the barely held back strikes of Doflamingo's stings, or one long legged kick that sent him flying several times. Law only managed to avoid taking any damage by swapping his position each time with something that was firmly planted on the ground.

Doflamingo didn't appear too perturbed that he hadn't beaten Law down yet, and merely chuckled, "How long will you keep this up, Law? You know how this will end, so why waste your energy?" Doflamingo about faced and raised a hand as Law shot by him again, and brought his hand down sharply to strike the dark haired pirate a blow across the back, when a blur of motion made itself known from and took the strike meant for Law. Doflamingo's brow furrowed at the interruption, and just who it was.

Law stumbled to his feet. Why hadn't he been struck? Who had...gotten in the way? Another feeling of dread came over him as he turned to see who it was, even though he had a feeling. And it was confirmed as soon as he saw Penguin kneeling down in front of him with a grimace of pain crossing his lips. Law blinked as what had happened sunk in. Penguin...Penguin had taken the attack for him. But why was he here in the first place? Law was sure that he had sent his crew away, and Penguin had been unconscious when he had done it. Law quickly dodged to one side and out of range of a Bullet String attack sent his way by Doflamingo, but Law was suddenly more concerned by the appearance of his crewmate than the older man, "What are you doing here?" Law demanded furiously. He sincerely hoped that the rest of the crew was not going to show up as well. It would be too perfect an opportunity for Doflamingo to take advantage of and go back on his word and attack. The rest of his crew didn't show, however, but Law felt that it was bad enough that Penguin had been foolish enough to show himself to Doflamingo in the first place.

Penguin didn't appear to share Law's concerns, because instead of joining in on the battle, he merely seized his captain by the arm and dragged him into an alley. And then ran as fast as he could in the direction of the docks, completely silently despite the painful cuts across his back from Doflamingo's attack.

"What are you doing? You fool!" Law attempted to stop Penguin from tugging him along, and only managed to bring them both to a halt by digging in his heels. Law hastily freed his arm to glower at his crewmate, "Go back to the ship and leave. I am the one that Doflamingo wants."

"No." Penguin said simply, and made as if to grab Law's arm again, only to have the dark haired pirate step back out of range.

"If you go against my orders, then it's mutiny, isn't it?" Law asked, as he carefully raised his still drawn blade and eyed Penguin in question.

"Not if I'm just trying to help you." Penguin said tersely in return, before he hastily ducked as Law swung his blade at him.

Law did not want to have this conversation right now. Doflamingo was no doubt nearby, and liable to find them any second. He needed to get Penguin out of here, before Doflamingo found them and slaughtered Penguin before his eyes. He wouldn't put it past the other man. Law pressed toward Penguin and used a small room to surround them and took aim at Penguin. It frustrated Law to no end that Penguin was able to dodge him, and knew that he had to end things quickly before Penguin decided to get serious. Law swung down with his blade which Penguin side stepped, and Law fell back with a hiss from the stinging strike Penguin had landed across his right forearm in retaliation.

After a few more exchanges of blade and fist, Law backed Penguin into a corner. He had his room up, so he couldn't actually harm Penguin should he cut him, and yet…

Law couldn't do it. He couldn't strike Penguin. Didn't want to do that to his crewmate, even if it was to save him from himself, and Doflamingo. The dark haired pirate should have known that Penguin knew he couldn't hurt him, and had obviously waited for that moment to strike. As soon as he saw Penguin leave his sight, Law knew he was screwed. And that he had forgotten just dangerous his crewmate could be. Especially since Penguin had decided to try and stop him from his current course of action.

And Law hated to believe that his crewmate would succeed.

-x-

Penguin used the hesitation to duck beneath Law's blade, because he had known, as he had before, that Law couldn't ever truly bring himself to harm his crewmates. Penguin saw Law as he turned, and moved toward him as he inwardly apologized to his captain for what he was about to do. While Law may not want to have harmed him, and even humiliated him a little, Penguin was not so kind in return. The way he had been raised. The way he had survived. Penguin had had to make some very difficult and painful decisions. Penguin knew, however, that he was doing the right thing right now, and it was only that thought that allowed him to carry through with the decision he'd made before he stepped foot in Cliff Rock again.

Penguin ducked beneath Law's half-hearted, wide swing, and his hand shot up to grip his captain by his throat as he used his other hand to halt Law's sword arm. With a slight pivot of their bodies, Penguin brought himself and Law down to the ground, though the Heart Pirate crewmate winced in sympathy when the back of his captain's head struck the ground with a sickening crack. Penguin let his hand settle around his captain's throat firmly, and shifted his body so that Law would be unable to gain any footing to throw him off, or move his sword arm, which Penguin kept pinned to the ground. Penguin tried and failed to ignore Law's left hand scrabbling at the hand at his throat, and again reminded himself that he was only doing this to help Law. To stop him from making a mistake.

Penguin watched Law carefully, though he was careful to avoid direct eye contact. He might lose his nerve then, but he had to make sure he was only allowing enough pressure ride on Law's throat to make him blackout, but not enough pressure that it would harm him.

Law still tried to protest, even if he was rapidly losing his breath, "Stop…go 'way…before…"

"No. I am not running. You should have known that I will do anything to protect you, or the rest of the crew. As you would do for us. Have done for us. I couldn't protect some people I once knew, ones that I could have protected, before I met you." Penguin almost made eye contact, but stopped short of doing so, "It is a painful memory, and I don't want to lose you too. None of the crew wants to lose you, even if Doflamingo isn't going to kill you. But he is a bad influence, and I worry how long you will hold out with no one to ground you. To stop you from doing what Doflamingo wants you to do. Besides...you're the person the crew cares about the most. What holds us together. You're why we waited at Zou, until you told us to come get you. And we did." Penguin shook his head, his voice having become visibly distraught, before he reined those emotions in, and continued on calmly, "I'm sorry for doing this to you, but it was the only way I could think of to stop you. Doflamingo reminded me of someone, and I hate the idea of letting him get what he wants so easily. "

Penguin briefly closed his eyes. He could tell that Law was close to passing out, from the way he was issuing faint, distressed sounds, "Thank you, for letting me be a part of your crew. The years I've spent with you all were the best years of my life." Penguin had only to wait a few moments more before Law passed out with a whimper of protest. Penguin loosened his grip and carefully massaged Law's throat, double-checking to make sure that he hadn't been too harsh while choking his captain out. As soon as Law's breathing evened out, Penguin reached over and sheathed Law's weapon, before he gently maneuvered Law up and over one of his shoulders. Penguin glanced up sharply as a nearby building toppled over with a giant grating sound. Doflamingo, no doubt. He knew he had to move fast.

Penguin began to move as quickly as he could through the back alleys, and was relieved when he reached the small ten foot cliff that overlooked the path that led to the docks. Penguin knew that his and Law's crew would be long gone by now, but Penguin was hoping that another crew hadn't yet left. To Penguin's immense relief, he spotted Kidd and his crew making their way along the path directly below where he was currently stood. "Kidd! Catch!" Penguin called down as he tossed his unconscious captain toward Kidd, who looked up and caught Law. It had looked to be an automatic reaction; one Penguin was relieved that the redheaded captain had made. Penguin tossed Law's weapon to Heat, before he turned back to Kidd, "Take him away from here! Doflamingo is after him." Penguin chanced a look over his shoulder and saw another building topple over, before he looked down at Kidd again. The bewildered expression would have been funny had Penguin not been so desperate, "Tell him that I am sorry I couldn't stop him sooner. If you happen to have sea stone shackles around, use them. Otherwise, he will come after me." Not waiting for a response, Penguin turned away and ran back down the alley. He did hear Kidd shouting at his crew to set sail, and that, at last, was promising.

Penguin was not happy that he had to leave his captain, his unconscious captain, in Kidd's hands, but it was the best that he could come up with on such short notice. And it was unlikely that Kidd was going to toss Law overboard, as the two seemed to have an interest in one another, for whatever reason. Penguin put it from his mind as he ran in the opposite direction of the docks, through the alley, until he reached the outskirts of town where he had found Law. He had to draw Doflamingo's attention away from Kidd's ship in order to set sail. Penguin heard rather than saw Doflamingo catch up to him.

A whistle through the air, which most people would have written off. Penguin, however, quickly threw himself to one side to avoid being struck by a string. Penguin rolled a few times before he sprang back up on his feet and crouched into a fighting stance. He knew it was useless, that he stood no chance, but he was merely going to be buying time. He wasn't looking to win. Penguin knew that Law would be absolutely horrified if he saw that Penguin had squared off against Doflamingo as if it weren't that big of a deal.

Doflamingo looked absolutely murderous as he landed on the ground, even if he was currently grinning. The older pirate looked around, as if expecting to see Law to pop out and attack, as though Penguin were merely the diversion. When it was apparent that Law was not going to show up, Doflamingo's smile stretched and he gritted out a few words, "Where is Law?"

Penguin did not waste his breath. He went straight into attack mode. He was still in control of himself, but he was not about to hold back as he had when he had thrown himself into the fray between Law and Kidd. If Doflamingo allowed it, Penguin would be quite happy to strike him. Penguin doubted he would get the chance, but he was going to do what he could, and make things as inconvenient as possible for Doflamingo.

Doflamingo dodged backwards, and appeared quite surprised by Penguin's actions, before he realized that Heart Pirate was deadly serious.

Penguin, for his part, nearly struck Doflamingo, but each time he came close, the older man somehow managed to evade it.

Doflamingo wore a slightly intrigued expression, as if he actually found Penguin interesting now, before he flicked a finger at him. And appeared quite irritated that Penguin dodged the attack but not fast enough, as his hat was torn from his head. Doflamingo grinned at Penguin's expression, and the more he looked at the now hatless Penguin, the more familiar the other man appeared to be. Doflamingo grinned as he batted aside an attack and sent Penguin flying away, "Ah, I think I have seen you before…fufufufufu. Interesting…I did not think Law would have you in his crew…"

Penguin continued to press forward, nearly landing several blows that Doflamingo merely blocked. But Penguin didn't care that they didn't. He was far more concerned by the fact that it seemed as if Doflamingo knew something of his past.

And that was something that Penguin did not want to be true.

-x-

Doflamingo, breathing heavily from exertion, had decided that enough was enough. He was done playing around, and with an almost nobody at that. Doflamingo dodged one more swipe from Penguin, and twisted around in order to run one hand through the air at Penguin's exposed and already injured back, and slashed it with a five color string. The choked cry of pain was rather satisfying, and Doflamingo turned the rest of the way to chase after Penguin as he rolled on the ground. "Overheat." Irritating, that the bastard managed to barely avoid taking that through the head. Enough really was enough. He was bored now. Doflamingo's hand lifted in Penguin's direction, and bent a few fingers, and halted the Heart Pirate in his tracks. Doflamingo casually approached the tethered Heart Pirate, about to tear him apart, before he stopped his hand just short of Penguin's slashed up back. Doflamingo held Penguin in place, before he stepped back and bent his fingers again, and forced Penguin to stand up and face him. Doflamingo eyed the Heart Pirate silently. Now that he thought about it, it was odd to him that Penguin would go out of his way to help Law, when his captain was already helping the whole crew by leaving them behind. And that meant that Penguin had acted alone. From what little Doflamingo knew of Penguin, if it was who he thought he was, it seemed odd that he would bother. But then again…

Doflamingo stepped forward and peered down at Penguin. It appeared as though all the fight had left the other man. That would be boring. More so than the one sided, brief battle. Doflamingo reached out a hand and gripped Penguin's chin, and tilted his head up, as he used his other hand to keep Penguin pinioned in place. Doflamingo immediately amended his thought. There was still fight left in this one, even if he obviously knew that it was useless to resist now that he was caught by the older man's Devil Fruit powers. Doflamingo chuckled, though he was anything by amused, as he asked again, "Where is Law?"

Penguin offered a hint of a smile, though it did not reach his eyes. They were full of hate for the man before him as he spoke, "I told you before that I wouldn't allow you near Law, if I or the rest of the crew could prevent it. And it appears that I have succeeded." The Heart Pirate winced as Doflamingo let go of his chin and put a finger to his left shoulder.

"Bullet String." Doflamingo said simply, and his grin grew nasty at the pained yelp Penguin let out. Doflamingo considered the man before him, and then laughed, "Fufufufu. You were the one that interrupted my calls with Law. It is interesting, that you of all people would care. Based on what happened before Law found you…"

"It is in the past. It does not matter anymore." Penguin responded in a dead tone of voice, as he cut Doflamingo off.

"On the contrary, it matters quite a lot. What is someone like you, who _murdered_ …" Doflamingo put an emphasis on that word, "...his so called friends, doing with Law? It seems a dangerous gamble on his part to let you on his ship."

"It is in the past." Penguin insisted. "I am not the same as back then." The Heart Pirate glared at Doflamingo, heedless of the position he was in, "And I did not do anything to them. The marines were wrong."

Doflamingo decided to keep this one alive, instead of killing him as he had thought to. He had a plan forming in his mind. He did so love twists of fate, and here he was presented with a wonderful opportunity to deal with Penguin and Law in one call to the dark haired pirate captain. But for now, Doflamingo had found something quite entertaining to do right now. Doflamingo grinned eerily as he circled around Penguin, careful to keep the other man in place as he spoke with a playful lilt to his voice, "Oh, but not everyone changes. Sometimes they just bury that part of themselves deep down, only for it to come out later, when convenient."

Penguin held perfectly still, even if he couldn't move anyway. He couldn't help but respond to what the older pirate had just said, "It is not. I've put it behind me."

"So you say. But those…tendencies…they must come out when properly provoked, don't they?" Doflamingo leaned in close to breath against the side of Penguin's neck, his tone almost cajoling, "Does it bother you, to be surrounded by all of those fools? To not be able to kill your enemies, to ensure that they do not harm the people that you care about?" Doflamingo heard a slight intake of air and grinned wolfishly as he continued, "It must be a shame to have to keep that side of you locked out of sight, isn't it?"

"Stop." Penguin said, clearly wanting to hear no more.

"But why? It is the truth, isn't it? Is that so difficult to admit?" Doflamingo leered unpleasantly as he circled back around to stoop before Penguin, "Why, I bet you didn't even get Law to leave on his own, did you?" Doflamingo enjoyed the pained look that crossed Penguin's features, "Fufufufu. Did you enjoy it? Showing your captain that hidden side of yourself? Who you really are? Did he curse your name before you knocked him out?" The older pirate saw Penguin's heated glare, and Doflamingo couldn't help but laugh once more, "Oh, don't give me that look. It's the only way you could have possibly gotten Law to go away. You would have had to have made unconscious in some way." Doflamingo's voice became curious, "How did you do it? Did you strike him from behind like a coward, or…"

"Shut up! It's your fault that it all came to this in the first place!" Penguin snapped harshly, heedless of the perilous position he was in and what Doflamingo could do to him should he take offense.

Doflamingo had one large hand around Penguin's throat in an instant as he leaned in close to meet the other man's eyes, "You are not in any position to argue or insult me. Understand? Or is it just that it is too hard to hear something that you do not want to hear?" When Penguin said nothing other than taking in a few gasps of air, Doflamingo added, "If you're done with this pointless resisting, then tell me where Law is."

"…No."

Doflamingo's smile became strained, "You don't have much of a choice. Besides, it is only Law. You've already betrayed him by striking out against him, haven't you? Why not go all the way, as you did all those years ago?"

-x-

Penguin despised the fact that yes, Doflamingo appeared to know about his past, if only a little, but more than enough to get under his skin. And he hated that Doflamingo was right. Penguin had made some bad choices, but he had learned from them, and knew he would never give Law away. Would never give away the location of him or the rest of the crew. Penguin kept his gaze locked on Doflamingo's shaded glasses, "I did not kill them." Penguin said flatly, and it was evident he meant from the past, "And I will not tell you anything. If I have learned anything of the past, it is to not betray those that are important to me." Penguin managed a smile despite the steady fall of pressure around his throat that let him know Doflamingo was not at all pleased by the answer," Kill me if you wish. I will not betray Law or the rest of my crew."

"I think you'll find that it will be easier on you if you tell me."

That was a laugh. Doflamingo was more liable to kill him as soon as Penguin let on to where Law had gotten to. He wouldn't waste the chance he had given his captain, and told Doflamingo so, "Never. Go to hell, for all I care." Penguin knew what Doflamingo was going to do. Didn't need to see the furious look that was hidden behind those shades, or the feel of the clench of that hand around his throat, restricting his air.

But Penguin didn't care. He wouldn't say anything, and Doflamingo could choke him to death for all he cared, and he still would not say anything to betray his friends. Never again.

Penguin felt himself fade in and out of consciousness as his vision began to speckle at the edges, before he began to black out. But he wasn't going to struggle or fight Doflamingo. Because Penguin was satisfied that he had gotten Law far away from the Donquixote pirate, and Law would rejoin their crew, and then meet up with Luffy and his crew soon after. Surely when their two crews were together, Doflamingo would have an even harder time trying to blackmail Law back into his crew.

Most of all, passing out from reality brought Penguin a measure of relief, and with it the knowledge that his captain was safe. The loss of thought into unconsciousness also allowed for painful dredges of memories to stay just that to Penguin.

Memories.

-x-

There was the soft sound of his breathing. Another sound nearby, but that didn't matter to him just yet. Because Law, half in and out of an awakened state, began to piece his hazy thoughts together. He came to the same conclusion as when it had happened.

Penguin had attacked him, and had choked him in to unconsciousness.

Law couldn't wrap his mind around that. He was still taken aback that Penguin had been so merciless while choking him out, though he knew he shouldn't have been surprised. He'd driven his crewmate to do something drastic, and yet, Penguin's words lingered in his mind. It had sure as hell had sounded as if Penguin had been saying goodbye…

"Trafalgar?"

Law furrowed his brow, but did not open his eyes quite yet. The voice that had spoken…it wasn't Penguin's…so then who...? Law felt someone poke him in the forehead, and the voice became a little clearer.

"Oy. You awake?"

Kidd.

Law's brow furrowed as the voice registered. Kidd…what the hell? Why was it Kidd? What had happened to Penguin crossing the deep end and choking him out? Law's eyes opened slowly in time to see Kidd reach in for another poke, and with an irritable sound in the back of his throat, reached up and batted the other captain's hand away.

Kidd snorted as if not at all surprised by something, "Shit, are you always so cranky when you wake up?" Kidd offered a smile, "Other than when you woke up in bed with me?"

Law propped himself up on his elbows and took stock of his surroundings. As soon as it registered that neither Doflamingo nor Penguin were in sight, nor was he was still on the island...that was when Law got angry. That fool. That stupid, stupid _fool_. Where was Penguin? He hadn't…he hadn't stayed behind on the island to confront Doflamingo alone…had he? Was that why he had basically choked out that rather emotional farewell before he lost consciousness?

Shit.

Kidd apparently noticed that Law was not confused anymore, but obviously did see that the dark haired captain was pissed as hell, as well as worried. Kidd decided to speak, since Law seemed to be very close to panicking or attacking, "Your crewmate said he was sorry that he couldn't stop you sooner." Kidd was rather taken aback at the sight of Law immediately surging to his feet and stumbling over to where he was seated on a chair. Not that Kidd minded much when Law seized the front of his open shirt, but it wasn't at all friendly.

"Where are they? Take me back, now." Law demanded in an icy tone. He couldn't believe this. He couldn't believe that Penguin had knocked him down, or rather, choked him out and handed him off to Kidd. Again, Law pegged his crewmate as a fool, and knew he had to go somehow find him, and hope that Doflamingo did not just kill him because it was convenient. It was a worse thought to think that Doflamingo had merely captured Penguin instead. He didn't want to think about Penguin being tormented until Law managed to get a hold of the other warlord.

Kidd blinked up at Law from his seated position, before he reached up and freed himself from Law's grasp, "You've been out for a few hours. I doubt that anyone's gonna be there in Cliff Rock anymore."

Law swore under his breath and tried to move past Kidd toward the cabin door. He realized that he was on Kidd's ship, but other than that he had more important things on his mind. Like making sure Penguin hadn't gotten himself foolishly killed. His plan was foiled as Kidd reached out and grabbed him. Law glared over his shoulder at the redheaded captain, "Let go." The Heart Pirate said in a clipped tone. He was in no mood for this.

Kidd snorted derisively, "So you can go get yourself killed when your crewmate just stopped that from happening?"

"I was not going to be killed." Law said shortly. "However, I am sure that Doflamingo would be more than happy to do that to Penguin." Law glared at Kidd, not amused, and repeated his previous words, "Let go, now."

"No." Kidd said simply, and with hardly any effort, shifted and tugged Law backward, and sent him onto the bed on his back. Kidd knew from the sudden look of fury that Law had just realized that he was handcuffed.

Law sat back up on the bed, chain clinking behind his back as he lifted his hands to look at the cuffs around his wrist, before he lifted his gaze to Kidd's, "I wouldn't have expected you to have any see stone shackles with you."

Kidd shrugged as he sat back down, "Killer got 'em off some marines a few weeks ago."

Law dropped his hands to his lap and looked Kidd over with a hint of a smile, "And why would your crewmate bother?"

Kidd caught the smile and knew exactly what Law was thinking, "Killer did not get them to use on me. I have better control over my temper than you seem to think." Kidd leered at Law, "You seem to be more on edge than before, so Penguin said that we should cuff you to make sure you didn't go after him."

That did not make Law feel better at all. He rose again, and started toward Kidd with an almost scowl on his features. "Where is the key?"

Kidd settled more comfortably in the chair, "Like I'm gonna tell you that. And you are still recovering from your injuries, so I doubt you'll get very far even if the shackles were off."

Law stopped just short of Kidd, eying him with an unfriendly look, "I can find it myself if you won't tell me where it is."

Kidd scoffed, "Like you would be able to." The redheaded captain realized his mistake when Law closed the distance between them and settled on his lap, straddling him. Kidd automatically reached out to steady Law, "What the hell are you doing?" As if he didn't already know.

Law allowed himself a satisfied smile as he rested his hands on Kidd's shoulders and leaned in to place a light kiss against the scar going down the side of Kidd's neck, "I am not losing any of my crew to Doflamingo, Eustass-ya."

Before Kidd could say anything to that, Law's mouth met his own and that was that for any coherent trains of thought. Kidd absently wrapped an arm around Law's back to pull him closer into the kiss, and moaned something unintelligibly as Law began to trail his hands further and further down. And then, Law had his pants partially down, and had begun to toy with him. Something that the redheaded captain did not mind in the least. Kidd mumbled something as Law broke the kiss, but became distracted as Laws hands moved over him, and his lips ran along his throat, to his collarbone, leaving a trail of harsh nips as well as soft kisses, apparently trying his best to drive Kidd crazy. And it was working. Law's hands were doing interesting things, and Kidd was honestly surprised that he became so hard in such a short time. Then, as soon as it had begun, it stopped.

Kidd opened his eyes dazedly as he looked at Law, who had settled back on his lap with a small smile of triumph. Kidd still looked a little confused, until Law's chains started to clink, and he realized that the other captain had liberated the key from the back pocket of his pants. That sly, sneaky son of a bitch…Kidd grabbed Law and after a brief power struggle, Kidd yanked the key out of Law's grasp and dropped it onto the nearby table. Before Law could protest, Kidd stood, still holding him, and carried him over to the bed, where he dumped him on his back again and moved to rest over him, to prevent Law from fleeing. The redhead captain noted that he looked pissed again, and that was just fine with him.

"Get off of me. I need to go." Law said, or rather, demanded, hands up against Kidd's chest.

"Is that so? Well, too damn bad." And with that, Kidd resumed what Law had started, regardless of the chain of sea stone that drained his energy when he happened to brush a hand against it. Or the fact that Law was not at all pleased to be delayed.

Though soon enough, Law temporarily forgot his troubles as Kidd ended up taking his immediate attention.

-x-

Doflamingo prowled back and forth, still displeased by the turn of events. He had not expected things to be so difficult. The older pirate glanced at a closed door, and couldn't help but smile nastily. Doflamingo knew that Law would never allow one of his crewmates to sacrifice themselves for him and not try to save them in return. That made Penguin a valuable bargaining chip, since Doflamingo knew that there was no way Law would leave things as they were. Doflamingo headed toward the door, figuring that his captive should be awake by now.

If he could manage to get Penguin to give up Law's location, it would make things all the more easy for him.

-x-

Penguin woke up slowly, even though as soon as he had, he really wished he hadn't. His whole body hurt. He knew that he was not likely to be on Cliff Rock anymore, and from the rocking sensation he could feel, he had to be on a ship now. It was disappointing, as well as depressing, to know that it wasn't his own ship he'd woken up on. That it could have all just been a bad dream. With that sensation of being on the sea and in unfamiliar ship, came the realization that his wounds had been treated, however minimally, with ointment and bandages to prevent infection.

Penguin let out a sigh, though it hurt his throat. He should have known. If Doflamingo had no idea where Law was, then why get rid of the person who did? Penguin stifled a cough as he opened his eyes and took stock of where he was. A small room that was dimly lit. Windowless. He was on his side, which was nice, since it would have hurt to have been lying on his wounded back. The silence he found himself in was unlikely to last. Doflamingo was sure to show himself sometime soon. Penguin shifted minutely before stilling. From the feel of it, he was not in any shape to stand, let alone move very far.

The door opened, and the dark chuckle that preceded the older man's arrival caused Penguin to flick his gaze up. He watched Doflamingo enter the room, before the older pirate shut the door behind him, and approached the bed he lay on. No doubt he was there to interrogate him. Penguin wasn't feeling particularly generous right now, so Doflamingo should expect to be disappointed.

"You were unconscious for quite some time. I thought I had killed you." Doflamingo's voice made it clear that he really didn't care if he had. "You are most certainly in no shape to cheek me, so tell me, whatever did you do with Law?"

Penguin, with difficulty, managed to get himself into a seated position, so that he could better look at Doflamingo. He wasn't going to say, and he would make that clear to Doflamingo. Or at least, he tried to. Most unfortunately, Doflamingo appeared to have done more damage than he had initially suspected. Instead of telling Doflamingo he was out of luck, Penguin could only manage a raspy, terrible gasping sound, which made him immediately freeze up in utter shock as the extent of his injuries was made clear.

He couldn't talk.

His voice…It wouldn't come. And with the inability to speak came a wash of humiliation that he couldn't tell Doflamingo off. Penguin fully expected Doflamingo to gloat about it, and was therefore surprised when the older pirate frowned at the lack of words coming out of Penguin's mouth. And cursed.

"It seems I may have been too rough." Doflamingo admitted, though an edge of amusement entered his voice, "I guess I will have to find another way for you to tell me what I want to know."

Penguin barely heard him, the terrible thought stuck in his mind as he gingerly reached up one hand to feel his throat. It hurt, and Penguin had no doubt that it was horridly bruised up from Doflamingo's hand.

He couldn't talk. He couldn't speak, and yet…Doflamingo was still going to try and find a way to coerce information from him.

Penguin ignored the shadow that fell over him, hand still to his throat as he desperately hoped that this was only temporary. He could breathe just fine, after all, but the mantra continued to go through the back of his mind.

He couldn't speak.

He couldn't use words to defend himself.

And that, more than Doflamingo trying to interrogate him, made Penguin feel sick to his stomach.


	8. Chapter 8

The small, dimly lit room was completely silent but for Penguin's quiet breathing and Doflamingo's heavy footfall as he approached the bed that the Heart Pirate lay on. The older pirate soon loomed at the edge of the bed, and frowned in thought as he studied Penguin. He watched as the other man began prop himself up on one elbow, but it was obvious from the way he was shaking that it took a lot out of him to do such a little task. And Doflamingo didn't know why Penguin was even bothering. With the shape the Heart Pirate was in, there was not much that he could do, whether he was lying down, sitting or standing. Doflamingo didn't particularly care if Penguin was doing well or not, though from the way the Heart Pirate glared at him, the roughing up from before did little to diminish the other's spirit. Pity that. Doflamingo knew it would have been easier if Penguin had ended up barely alive but able to talk. It would have been far more convenient and easy to coerce information out of him that way than the state Penguin was in now. From the way the Heart Pirate had forced himself into a slouched yet seated position, Doflamingo could see the tired yet alert expression and the stubborn will despite being unable to speak for the time being. It was a dilemma, and an irritating one at that. Though there was something satisfying on taking the confident ones down to their knees and showing them how powerless they were, and how foolish they were to bother resisting. However...

Doflamingo furrowed his brow as he stared, and found that he became more irritated the longer he looked at Penguin. No matter how satisfying it would be, it would take some time to get through to Penguin. His past, or what he knew of it, made humiliating him rather difficult. Not to mention making him see that he was in over his head for challenging him. And it was all because Doflamingo wanted to find Law before the brat got too far away. After all, it was Law that was supposed to be here, not this sorry excuse that had interfered. Another time, perhaps, should Law not be lured back to get his crewmate back. Doflamingo knew that if he delayed any more than he already had that it would only give Law time to get farther away. Wherever it was he had gotten to. Doflamingo gaze flicked down to eye Penguin's throat, and saw the bruises that had formed. He hadn't realized just how much damage he had caused when he had merely seized the smaller man by the throat.

The blond haired pirate snorted to himself. It was the Heart Pirate's fault for daring to try and stand up to him in the first place. If it weren't for the fact that Penguin had information that he wanted, Doflamingo would have killed him back in Cliff Rock. That Penguin even dared to think that he had stood a chance against him was almost insulting, and the fact that the Heart Pirate had pointedly worked to keep him from getting to Law angered Doflamingo. He hated when lowly fools acted out of place, and if he could, he would kill Penguin when he got the chance. Doflamingo wasn't going to allow the man to think that he would get away with making a fool out of him. Doflamingo despised that he had been tricked to begin with.

Doflamingo didn't notice that he had begun to grin maniacally, and since his eyes weren't visible, Penguin obviously took it as a bad sign, because the injured Heart Pirate struggled to sit up the rest of the way from his slouch. Doflamingo's grin turned less sinister as he watched Penguin's progress. He let the other pirate think that he could do as he would, for now. It wasn't like Penguin was in any shape to run or put up a fight. Doflamingo's grin widened. If Penguin had had the energy to fight, Doflamingo would have been quick to put him in his place. He had no time to play around with someone that did not matter to him in the least. "I've thought of a way for you to tell me what I want." The older man chuckled at the sight of Penguin lifting his head to give him a hate laden glare, "Fufufufu. Don't be like that. It isn't in your best interest right now." Doflamingo lifted a hand toward Penguin, "Besides, it was your choice to go in over your head. You have no one to blame but yourself right now."

With a single flex of his fingers, Doflamingo had Penguin's wounded arm pulled tightly behind his back. At the sound of a pained gasp, Doflamingo stepped to one side and rummaged around in the tiny desk in the room with his free hand. He drew out a quill and paper, and set it on the surface of the desk. Doflamingo turned his attention back to Penguin, "I'll release your arm…" He tugged at the invisible string, drawing forth a grimace from Penguin, "If you write down where it is that Law went off to." When Penguin didn't move, Doflamingo's fingers twitched, and with a faint sound of protest from Penguin, forced the Heart Pirate to rise and walk shakily over to the desk as his breath came out in harsh gasps.

"Don't try my patience. The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because you happen to know where Law is." Doflamingo chuckled at the look Penguin threw him from the corner of his eye. "Don't worry. I was going to kill you either way. Whether you voluntarily tell me what I want to know or I if I have to force it out of you. It makes no difference to me so long as I get what I want." Doflamingo relinquished his string's control over Penguin's uninjured arm, "Tell me." It was not a request. It was a demand. With another sharp tug to Penguin's wounded arm, Doflamingo grinned, satisfied, as he watched the Heart Pirate picked up the quill with an unsteady hand. Pain could be quite a good motivator if the recipient had a low tolerance for pain, or was already in bad shape. Doflamingo's smile slipped as he saw the single word that was written. The single word that mocked Doflamingo as he stared down at it.

_Never._

"It's no use delaying things. I know Law. He will do anything to get you back. He's a sentimental fool, despite what he may think." And Doflamingo knew that the dark haired pirate would. It was only a matter of time. "It is a shame that he ended up becoming so attached to his crew, that he couldn't do to leave a crewmember or two behind if he had to." Doflamingo restricted the string around Penguin's wounded arm. "I will not have you playing games with me. Law will come for you whether I go looking for him or not, so tell me where he is."

Penguin hesitated for a moment, before he wrote again.

_Even if that is the case, I will still tell you nothing._

Penguin winced as another invisible string wrapped around the wrist he had been writing with. He didn't dare look up as Doflamingo came closer.

"I think that you will, given proper motivation." Doflamingo said simply, even as a terrible smile spilled across his lips.

-x-

Law woke slowly as if coming out a daze. He felt well-rested, even if he was a bit sore. The first thing his sleepy mind became aware of was a warm body pressed up against his from behind. The heat source was hot and pleasant, and also appeared to be breathing. Another person, then. Law's sleepy mind decided, as he settled back against whoever it was that was in bed with him. The dark haired pirate knew who it was, but with his current state of mind didn't appear to care to put a name to the other person. Law lie still, and still half asleep, decided to enjoy the warmth that was settled behind him. The carefree mind set was short lived as the haze of sleep began to clear the more Law began to wake. The calm, content feeling vanished soon after as the dark haired man realized what he had been doing, as opposed to what he should have been doing. Law struggled to free himself from Kidd's grasp, but between still being cuffed with sea stone, and worn out from their earlier activities, the attempt ended in failure. It did wake Kidd, because Law felt the back of his neck being tickled by the redhead's breath.

"What is it?" Kidd mumbled drowsily, even as he kept his grip firm around Law's middle.

Law felt Kidd snuggle closer to him, making him aware that neither of them had bothered to put clothes on before falling asleep. "You distracted me." Law hissed, one hand to the arm Kidd had around him,"Penguin is in danger and you had the gall to have sex with me. Again." Law was never going to admit that he had enjoyed it. He wasn't going to give the younger pirate the satisfaction. He had the feeling that encouraging Kidd would make the redhead more persistent.

Kidd clutched Law closer to his chest, despite the sea stone chains that were attached the shackles. "Mmm…you weren't complaining before, when we were doin' it."

Law opened his mouth to ream Kidd out for where he was now pressing up against him from behind, when Law's transponder snail went off. The Heart Pirate captain wiggled within Kidd's grasp, "I need to answer that." Law said seriously, and was relieved when Kidd reluctantly let go of him with a grumble. Law sat up, chains clinking together as his eyes sought out the snail. As soon as he spotted it, Law heaved a mental sigh. Of course it would not be within easy reach. With a cross look at Kidd, Law leaned over the other man's chest to answer the call from the snail. The dark haired pirate pointedly ignored Kidd when the other captain rested his right hand over his back in question, fingers trailing along lightly. It was distracting, but Law answered the call and spoke tersely, "Yes?" He knew who it was going to be, and he was suddenly not in the mood to deal with either Doflamingo or with Kidd.

" _Fufufufu. Such hostility in the morning. I'm hurt."_ Doflamingo's voice was anything but. There was a hard edge to his voice, as if he were barely holding back some anger at being duped.

"I highly doubt you have called just to tell me that." Law leaned back and slapped his free hand over Kidd's mouth. He did not want Kidd chiming in for several reasons. As loathe as Law was to the idea, he found that he didn't want Kidd to cross paths with Doflamingo. And if the older warlord knew that he was with Kidd, he had no doubt that there would be a pink speck in the air careening toward them. Law hadn't yet looked outside at the weather, but if it was cloudy and Kidd gave them away, they were all fucked if Doflamingo decided to pay a visit after confirming his whereabouts to come 'collect' him. The destruction alone was something that Law did not wish on anyone, as he knew how nasty Doflamingo could be. "My crewmate acted on his own. Our deal is off if you have harmed Penguin."

" _It was already off the moment your crewmate acted on his own."_ Doflamingo's voice became playfully mocking as he addressed someone in the room with him, _"Isn't that right? Whatever were you thinking? Some low life fool could never harm me, nor make any difference at all to the way things will always be."_

Law stiffened even as he rested his hand heavier over Kidd's mouth. Doflamingo wasn't talking to him. He was speaking to someone in the room with him, and Law had a feeling that it was Penguin. With a glare out of the corner of his eye at Kidd, who was trying to move his hand away, Law spoke into the receiver in his hand,"What did you do to him?" The dark haired pirate knew that he would not have to clarify who. There was only one person that Doflamingo could be tormenting right now, and Law was not happy about how things had turned out. At all. Penguin should have been long gone with the rest of the crew. Not held at the mercy of Doflamingo, who was no doubt not being a very nice captor to someone who had spoiled his plans. "Depending on your answer, I may just hang up right now."

_"If you want your foolish crewmate to live awhile longer, I would advise against hanging up."_ Doflamingo said darkly, _"He is ridiculously loyal to you. He won't tell me anything, even after a little encouragement."_

"How do I know you haven't just killed him?" Law elbowed Kidd in the chest as he rested over it, drawing a muffled, indignant sound from the redhead who retaliated by swatting his ass. Law's glare turned icy, though its effect was not useful because Kidd was glaring right back at him, not at all happy with the way he was being silenced. The dark haired pirate ignored Kidd's roving hand as he added, "How do I know you didn't tire of playing games and got rid of him because he wouldn't tell you what you wanted?"

" _You don't."_ Doflamingo said simply. _"I don't feel the need to tell you, since you failed to hold up the end of our bargain."_

"I was going to go through with it. You know I was. I did not know that there were going to be complications." Not that Penguin was a complication, but to Doflamingo, Law was sure that his crewmate was, "I want to speak to Penguin. Now." Law did not want to entertain the notion that his crewmate was dead, but he wouldn't put it past Doflamingo to be so rough that Penguin's body couldn't keep up with the abuse. Doflamingo's Devil Fruit powers were painful to be on the receiving end of.

" _Now, now, don't go making demands."_ The transponder snail was reflecting Doflamingo's wide smile as the man's voice took on a chiding tone. _"Or I may have to do something about it, and your crewmember is a convenient scapegoat at the moment."_

"I will hang up." Law warned, "If I do not know the state of one of my men."

" _I don't think that he can speak right now. I may have been a bit rough while capturing him."_ Doflamingo sounded displeased that this was the case, and not because it was terrible for Penguin to have to go through.

Anger rose within Law but he struggled to push it away. He couldn't let Doflamingo goad him into making a stupid mistake. It wouldn't help Penguin. Doflamingo was, however, testing Law's patience with the belittling way the older pirate was now speaking to Penguin.

" _Do you want to speak to your captain? So you can tell him that you made a mistake and how much of a fool it made you when you realized that it will do no good? That you only delayed the inevitable?'_

Law heard movement on Doflamingo's end, before he heard labored, rapid breaths, and the sound of someone trying to speak. Law realized with a stab of dread that Penguin was trying to say his name, but couldn't. As if he found it hard to speak..."Penguin…" The dark haired pirate murmured. It sounded like Doflamingo had done some damage to his crewmate's vocal chords. Law sympathized, and while it was likely to be painful, Penguin was lucky to even be alive after an encounter with the warlord.

" _It seems that he is not up for a chat."_ Doflamingo's voice said smoothly, the snail reflecting a nasty grin.

"I doubt it. His inability to speak is entirely your fault." Law was going to kill Doflamingo for this. How dare he mock his friend. Penguin had tried to protect him. Law knew that, and he hated to think that it was going to be for nothing, just as Doflamingo had said. The older pirate had to know that he wasn't going to leave Penguin in his clutches for much longer. Doflamingo would be more likely to kill his crewmate if he dragged this out any longer.

" _I'll call you when I make landfall. Be sure to answer, or your crewmate may find himself in poorer shape than he already is."_ On that note, Doflamingo hung up.

Law shakily replaced the set on the snail before he exhaled and dropped onto the bed alongside Kidd, hand slipping from the redhead's mouth as he did.

Kidd turned over and, although Law wasn't looking at him, knew that the other man wore a decidedly unhappy expression. "What the fuck was that for?"

Law figured that Kidd meant the hand over his mouth, so as to not alert Doflamingo to his presence. "Penguin…" Law muttered, before he pushed himself up, and rested his hands on Kidd's chest to lean over and look him in the eyes. He ignored the fact that they were still both naked. It was something he had to ignore for now after the call with Doflamingo. "I have to help him, Eustass-ya. Wherever Joker goes, I can't leave Penguin at his mercy. Doflamingo will kill him when he is no longer of any use. And if I turn myself over, he will let Penguin go. I will do what I must for that to happen."

Kidd reached up and gripped Law's wrists above the shackles. "You should just kill Doflamingo when he shows his face."

"It isn't that easy." Law shook his head, inwardly realizing that he shouldn't have touched Kidd in the first place, "It's too dangerous. He would be more likely to kill Penguin beforehand. I am not going to take that chance. Not after what Penguin tried to do for me. I won't let it happen."

"And I told you before that I wasn't done with you yet." Kidd let go of Law with a smirk.

"And having sex a few hours ago doesn't count?" Law heard metal clink and looked down curiously. There was a bit of metal looped around a link in the sea stone that hadn't been there moments before. Law's eyes widened. Shit. "Don't you dare." He was already wasting time as it was, and he couldn't have Kidd delay him more than he already had.

Kidd grinned childishly and flicked a finger at the other captain, "My ship. I'll do what I want."

"That is the most childish thing I have heard!" Law cursed as Kidd pinned him on the bed with his Devil Fruit power. Really, did the redheaded captain really have to have another round so soon? When he needed to make sure that Doflamingo wasn't going to kill Penguin just for the hell of it? Law growled something as he tugged at the metal that pinned the sea stone down, before he aimed a kick at Kidd, "I won't let you stop me, Eustass-ya!"

"And you need to calm the fuck down." Kidd replied as he caught Law's leg and leaned in close enough to kiss the thigh. Kidd leaned out of the way of Law's other foot. "You're gonna get you ass kicked if you don't."

"Hearing this from you is rather ironic. I didn't peg you as a patient individual. Mass destruction, more like, with no plan at all, and getting yourself beaten up for not being more careful."

"I'm not stupid." Before Kidd could say any more, there was a knock on the door and Kidd hastily tossed the sheet over Law's waist, and reached over to pull his pants on. "What?" Kidd demanded, as Law renewed thrashing around as he spat threats and curses.

"Don't just pretend I'm not here now, Eustass-ya!"

Kidd avoided being struck by a kick from Law as his cabin door was opened.

Killer entered the room, and to his credit, said nothing of the pissed off Heart Pirate in Kidd's bed, or the fact that he and Kidd were practically naked, "Heat said that there was a call intercepted. It seems like Big Mom is on the move. Apoo and Hawkins are headed toward the rendezvous."

"Did Hawkins still say we're gonna be late?" Kidd asked, as he fished around on the ground beneath his bed for Law's pants. Maybe the dark haired pirate would be less hostile with clothing on.

"He did say something to that effect, and that it would be a larger delay than he had initially read earlier." Killer's mask seemed to pointedly look at Law, before he turned back to follow Kidd's progress on the ground, "And could you please try to keep it down? I and the rest of the crew don't want to hear the two of you screwing each other. It is quite off putting and the images that come to mind aren't very pleasant."

"Fuck off, Killer." Kidd snapped, though it was obvious from his tone that he was embarrassed.

Law managed a brief smile at Kidd's discomfort, "Someone certainly _was_ loud last night."

"Fuck you." Kidd snarled, glancing up from his task briefly.

Law's response was smug, "I thought you already did that last night." It was rather satisfying to rile Kidd up, even if it did nothing to accomplish helping Penguin.

Killer cleared his throat, clearly not wanting to follow that particular train of thought, "Should I have the navigator set course for the rendezvous?"

Law tugged at his restrained arms as he lifted his head to fix Kidd's crewmate with a harried look, "And take me further from my crewmate?" Law kicked a foot beneath the sheet, where it connected with the top of Kidd's head.

"Shit." Kidd hissed as he backed out of range, "You aren't gonna let up on that, are you?" Noting the fierce glare trained on him, Kidd sighed, "Killer, is there an island nearby? I guess we're gonna have to take care of this right now."

Killer glanced at his captain rubbing his head, "Yes, there is. It appears to be deserted. It's about a fifteen minutes away. We have to pass by it anyway."

"Head here fist. _Someone_ needs to let out some pent up aggression." Kidd returned Law's glare with one of his own.

"Do you mean yourself?" Law snapped irritably, "Your crew probably has to take you to some defenseless island twice a month where you can let out your frustration without anyone seeing how childish it makes you appear."

"Now, Killer." Kidd growled, as he located the dark haired pirate's pants and set them down on the end of the bed, followed by Law's shirt. He kept well out of reach of Law's thrashing.

As soon as Killer had taken his leave with a shake of his head, Kidd turned to Law with a grin, "Comfortable?" The teeth baring was new to Kidd, and it was fascinating to see how quickly Law could lose his composure. Was Penguin really that important that Law would lose his cool? Or was it because it was Doflamingo that had the Heart Pirate Captain's crewmate?

Law considered Kidd silently for a moment before he spoke, devoid of any humor, "If you do not unchain me right now, I will cut your body into pieces and leave your body parts for your crew to find." Law narrowed his eyes as Kidd approached the bed. He did not have time for this. He knew that Doflamingo would find the nearest island and set a time limit. With the expectation that he would not make it in time, and would find Penguin dead and Doflamingo gloating over his body. Law tensed as Kidd settled on the bed next to him.

Kidd grinned, "Admit it, you want to let loose on an island, don't you?" The resulting curses made Kidd reconsider whether it was a good idea to allow Law free reign on an island. He was plenty aggressive enough as it was in chains.

-x-

Kidd wasn't sure if rowing to the island in complete silence was a good thing or not. If nothing else, it appeared as though Law understood that it was useless to waste his energy on threats that he couldn't follow through on at present. Which was why Kidd had left the dark haired pirate's weapon back on the ship. Kidd glanced at Law staring at the bottom of the boat and figured that the other pirate captain was likely conserving energy. Kidd did have the key to Law's shackles, because the redhead had been serious about letting Law release pent up energy. Hence the reason why Kidd had left Law's weapon behind. Kidd wasn't going to make things easy on the other captain, and he took the threat of Law cutting his body to pieces seriously. He had seen what Law had done on Sabaody, and had no desire to have his limbs detached from his body in any fashion.

Kidd beached the boat and lifted Law out of the boat with barely an effort, and set him down on his feet. When Law refused to budge, Kidd nearly rolled his eyes, but cheerfully hoisted the other captain onto his shoulder, along with a loud curse from Law.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Kidd didn't answer as he began to head toward the center of the island, out of sight of his ship. The redheaded captain had brought a small transponder snail with him, but he highly doubted the he would need any backup. With each step he took, the more irritable Law appeared to become, to the point that he began to wriggle impatiently from where he was slung over Kidd's shoulder.

"Eustass-ya!"

A half hour later...

Kidd came into a clearing, and decided that this was probably the best place to have a fight as any, and he let Law back down onto the ground. Kidd took out the key from a pocket and undid the shackles, watching as they clanked to the ground. To Kidd's amusement, Law appeared to be surprised. Kidd almost laughed. What, had Law thought he was going to make him fight while handcuffed? That wouldn't be any fun.

"Room."

Kidd swiftly leaned to one side to avoid Law's hand from striking his chest. Well, that hadn't taken very long for Law to jump into attacking him. Good. Kidd grinned and about-faced to keep Law in his sight. It would have been boring if the dark haired man didn't take the fight seriously. Kidd clenched his right hand, narrowing his eyes as he began to draw in the metal that was on the island. He avoiding drawing it in from his ship, lest he accidently bring Law's sword closer to its owner. Grinning, Kidd extended his hand in Law's direction, "Repel."

Law kicked up some rocks and sent them flying toward Kidd, and lifted a hand as sharp bits of metal shot through the air at him, "Shambles." The rocks became flying bits of metal as the rocks dropped harmlessly before the Heart Pirate.

Kidd sent the metal flying straight back with an irritable flick of his finger, and laughed when Law tossed rocks over his head. "Ain't gonna work. I'll just stop it before it hits me!"

Law merely smirked as he spoke one word, "Shambles."

Kidd gaped as Law was suddenly gone, and only noticed the other man's presence because he was dropping down through the air at him.

"Scalpel."

Kidd veered to the side, startled when the attack went through the fabric of the coat over his shoulders. Shit, and Law didn't even have a weapon on him. Kidd watched Law land after briefly glancing at the damage, before matching the Heart Pirate's grin. Interesting. So Law could warp within the room he had created. "Got any more tricks?" Kidd asked, as he drew in some more metal, and swung it at the man before him.

"Some, but I wont waste them on you. It'd be a shame if you ended up in pieces, I suppose, considering you wouldn't be able to repeat last night's endeavor." Law's smirk remained in place as he swapped places with another rock, avoiding the metal that now gouged the ground. "Do you have anything else other than swinging around uselessly large attacks?"

"Maybe. But it seems to be working, so why change things up?" Kidd could tell that, from last night and right now, Law was more weary than he initially let on. Kidd doubted he could last for very long, as he swung his hand and the large jagged metal the Heart Pirate captain's way again.

Law stumbled backwards, breathing heavily. It was obvious that he was at a disadvantage without his sword, and appeared to be tiring the longer he kept the room up. Law turned, both hands out, "Counter shock." Just as he was about to touch Kidd, the redhead ducked out of the way, and it was too late to prevent what the other captain was about to do. Kidd had him by his nearest arm, and with a swift sweep of one leg, knocked Law's out from under him, and took him to the ground.

Law felt a weight settle over his chest, and knew that it was Kidd that was trying to keep him from rising again. Damn. Kidd had managed to tire him out far more quickly than he thought he should have been able to. Law retained his room a moment longer, but, gasping for breath, knew he could no longer hold it up. Disappointing, but he knew it wasn't Kidd he should waste his anger on. It was Doflamingo. With a sigh, Law let the room dissipate, and went limp. It was too much effort to keep it going any longer, and he had lost the desire to cause the redheaded captain any permanent damage. Lucky bastard. Despite the weariness he felt, Law still tried to free himself, even though he knew it was useless, as did Kidd. "I…have to help Penguin…" Law insisted, as he closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing under control.

"And again, you need to calm the hell down." When Law refused to do so, Kidd did the only thing he could short of punching the dark haired captain. He kissed him, and the result was immediate. Kidd felt Law's arms reach up around his neck to keep the kiss going, but froze when one hand dropped down to rest against his chest. The kiss broke, and Kidd heard Law speak in a dangerously soft tone, his hand resting firmly against his chest.

"Let go of me, or I will take your heart."

Kidd blinked, but when he saw Law's serious expression, he merely decided that he would just have to wear Law out some more. He doubted Law would actually follow through on his threat. At least not right now. Besides, Kidd wanted to try and get Law to see that going to Doflamingo without a plan would be suicidal. Even if it was to fight, but Kidd didn't think that Law was going to from what the Heart Pirate had said earlier. Handing himself over without a fight was stupid, no matter how Kidd looked at it. If Law were thinking clearly, he would see that too. Kidd quickly grabbed Law before he could squirm away and lifted him up, stooping to grab the shackles. They negated his powers, but Kidd grimly bore it as he walked into a nearby cave.

"Eustass-ya."

Kidd ignored Law as he entered the cave and dropped the handcuffs, before unceremoniously dropping Law onto the ground and pinning him on his back and smothering him with another kiss to get him to shut up. Kidd hoped he wouldn't regret this later, but after a few light touches, Law seemed eager for his touch, so he supposed he would go with it and hope Law didn't pop his heart out during sex, if they got to that and not just a heated make out.

Missing parts of his body would be a definite mood killer.

-x-

Law stared at the ground of the cave, a slumbering Kidd nearby. He hated himself, and he hated Kidd for distracting him. Again. With very good sex, but distracting him all the same. Law let out a sigh, before he started at the sound of his transponder snail going off. Law picked it out of his shirt's pocket nearby, and, clad only in pants, went to the other side of the cave to answer it. "It's me." Law said, as he picked up the receiver of the snail. He hoped that Kidd would remain asleep throughout the call.

" _Lucky for your crewmate that you did. I am on an island four hours south of Cliff Rock."_ Doflamingo's voice was calm as he spoke, as if he knew that Law would not argue with the place he had chosen.

Law realized with a jolt that it was the exact same island he and Kidd were currently on, and counted himself and Penguin lucky for that, "I will be there shortly. You had better bring Penguin with you."

" _As it will be the only thing to get you to come, yes, I will."_ Doflamingo sounded displeased that something so petty would be worth it to Law.

"I will not leave if Penguin is unable to walk under his own power." Law stated coolly. And he wouldn't. He would stay until Penguin could, and it would be Doflamingo's problem for harming his crewmate in the first place.

"… _I'll be waiting at the center of the island shortly. Come alone and unarmed. I don't want you to be getting any ideas."_

Law already didn't have his weapon, but he was reluctant to go weaponless nonetheless, "Fine."

The snail smiled, _"I will see you soon, then."_

Law stared at the snail as Doflamingo hung up, before he stood and padded back over to where Kidd was still lying, fast asleep and snoring. Law calmly dressed the rest of the way and pocketed the snail before he turned to study Kidd. He knew that he had to prevent the redheaded captain and Doflamingo from meeting one another, and there was only one way he could see to do that. And that was to do something similar as what he had done to Penguin before going to Doflamingo the first time. But an extra precaution wouldn't hurt in addition to that. Law's expression tightened as he picked up the sea stone prism shackles and cuffed Kidd's right wrist, before he carefully tugged Kidd's pants back on and belted it shut. Law dug around in his jacket before pulling out a pill, which he got a semi slumbering Kidd to take with a bit of water from a flask.

Kidd's brow furrowed before he coughed and woke up, "What the fuck did you just make me swallow?" Kidd fell silent when he saw Law's face. It was an almost tormented look, as if Law were struggling to keep composed and failing. Kidd held still as Law wrapped his arms around the back of his neck and sighed against his skin. "What the hell?"

"Doflamingo is bringing Penguin to this island." Law felt Kidd tense.

"Shit. When? I need to warn the others…" Kidd gasped as Law pulled back and kissed him in a desperate way, before the redhead felt himself pushed down on to the ground on his back.

"I've made up my mind. Even if Penguin was trying to protect me, Doflamingo will not give up or take no for an answer. He is to leave Penguin here, as long as I leave with him and leave my crewmate behind." Law rested against Kidd's chest, and knew that the other man should start to feel sleepy soon, "I'm going to tell him to come here to find you." Law heard Kidd make a drowsy sort of protest, and Law hastily added in a pleading tone that he would normally never allow himself, "Please, get Penguin back to the rest of my crew. He should have never gotten involved in this mess. Should never have confronted Doflamingo." Law reluctantly rose and settled Kidd so that he would be comfortable, and turned to leave. Law didn't look back as he felt Kidd try to stop him by grabbing his leg. He moved out of reach, but Law couldn't block out Kidd slurred words. It only made Law walk faster, to try and put the words out of his mind.

"Don't go."

Law knew he shouldn't. That he shouldn't ruin what Penguin had tried to give him. But Law couldn't. Just as his crew would do anything to protect him, Law would do the same for them in return.

-x-

Law exited the cave and doubled around through the quiet forest that surrounded the clearing. He did not have to wait for long, as he soon spotted Doflamingo flying through the air, where he came to a land on the ground. Law felt a surge of rage course through him at the pitiful sight of Penguin hanging limply under one of the older pirates arms, before Doflamingo set him none too gently on the ground. Law's jaw set at the sight.

Penguin shakily gotten to his hands and knees, before he couldn't move any further after that.

Law couldn't stand the sight of Doflamingo using his powers to hold the wounded Penguin in place. Law waited a few moments, before he stepped into the clearing. His appearance received two different reactions. A wide smile from Doflamingo, and an anguished one from Penguin, as his crewmate's hat was gone, and his expression was perfectly clear.

"I didn't think that you would get here so quickly," Doflamingo commented with a smile.

Law offered a smile in return, "I can use my powers as a method of transportation."

Doflamingo laughed, "It is good that you got here sooner rather than later." The older pirate indicated Penguin where he lay on the ground with a jerk of his head, not even bothering to look down, "I suppose you want to check his injures, to make sure that he can walk under his own power?" Doflamingo asked snidely.

Law stepped forward, "Yes."

Doflamingo shrugged, before he let Penguin free with a careless flick of his hand as he stepped backward.

Law managed to reach Penguin in time to prevent him from collapsing onto the ground. Law set his crewmate on his side and checked him over, taking note of each wound. To Law's relief, most of the injuries appeared to be superficial. Penguin's throat, however, was a mass of black and purple. Law tentatively touched the bruises, which drew a shudder. Law leaned over as if to check closer as he slipped a key into Penguin's pocket, and whispered, "Eustass-ya is in the cave near here. This is the key to his shackles. When you're back on our ship, take the medicine in the right hand cupboard in the infirmary. It should help your throat." Law drew back, only to have Penguin's nearest hand grip his wrist weakly. "No, Penguin."

Penguin couldn't speak, but his expression made it clear that just like Kidd, he didn't want Law to go.

Law shook his head, "I'm sorry." Law felt his crewmate try to hold on tighter, and just knew that Penguin had wanted him to stay away. That he had not expected to survive when he had gone to confront Doflamingo.

"Law?" Doflamingo asked curiously.

"You will leave him be?" Law asked as he rested his other hand over Penguin's.

Doflamingo sighed, as if he found Law very trying, "As long as you leave him here."

"…you will not try to kill him or the others should you come across them later?"

Doflamingo gave the impression of rolling his eyes, "No, so long as you come along already."

"Fine." Law said flatly. He gripped Penguin's wrist tightly, expression apologetic before he freed his wrist from Penguin's hand, drawing a choked sound of protest. Law followed after Doflamingo, a heavy weight in his chest. This was wrong, but there really wasn't much he could do. Doflamingo would have killed his crewmate if he hadn't agreed to show. A sick feeling passed over Law when he realized that the sounds now coming from Penguin were hoarse sobs. That Penguin had given his captain a chance to escape, and he had wasted it to save him instead was obviously too much for his crewmate to handle.

Law caught up with Doflamingo, and felt even worse with what he had done when he heard the older man chuckle softly. Law tried not to think, but he couldn't help but feel he had betrayed Penguin by leaving him behind with nothing but the hope that Kidd would take the hint and get his crewmate out of there before Doflamingo decided to go back and murder him anyway.

"This way." Doflamingo stated, as he walked into the forest. He didn't bother looking back, as if he knew that Law would continue to follow after him.

Law did follow, but he was unable to tune out the sound of protest that came from his wounded crewmate. That Penguin had managed to weakly shout his name when all indications pointed to damaged vocals made Law feel worse, the sick feeling twisting his stomach in knots with every step that he took.

-x-

Penguin lay on the ground where Law and Doflamingo had left him. He had quieted after a brief bout of utter misery, upset that Law had wasted his chance to escape, and had given in without a fight. Penguin was torn by the fact that Law had wasted that chance to escape Doflamingo's clutches. In return, Penguin had only ended up wounded and humiliated at the hands of Doflamingo before Law had bartered for his return, solving nothing and only causing both of them more pain.

Penguin had thought that he had been helping, but it hadn't worked. While he and the rest of the crew were loyal to Law, their captain was equally loyal to them all. That he would put their safety above his own. Penguin had no idea how long he lie there, but it must have been longer than he thought, because he suddenly heard a lot of cursing, and then heavy footsteps approaching him. Penguin reluctantly opened his eyes, and looked up to see a disheveled Kidd looming over him, a chain dangling from where a cuff was attached around his wrist. Sea stone, no doubt.

Kidd eyed Penguin before he spoke, "Are you the one with that Law said Doflamingo captured? Penguin?"

Penguin nodded wearily.

"I don't suppose that Trafalgar bothered to tell you where the key to this is?" Kidd rattled the chain for emphasis.

Penguin shifted as he shakily dipped a hand into his pocket, and took out the key. Penguin set it down before resting his head on the ground with a sigh. He felt like shit, and wondered why the hell Law believed Kidd would actually help him. He was more likely to leave him here than do anything else.

"Hey."

Penguin didn't catch that Kidd said, because he was overcome with a sudden wave of exhaustion which sent him into unconsciousness, along with all of his regrets that had been made the past two days.


	9. Chapter 9

Kidd reached his ship after steadily cursing the entire walk back while carrying a passed out Penguin. Ordinarily, Kidd might have been inclined to leave the wounded man where he lie, but after what Law had done...the redhead decided that if he wanted to find out why, he would at the very least have to keep Law's crewmate alive. Kidd let out an aggravated sigh, "Your captain is an irritating son of a bitch."

Naturally Penguin didn't respond.

It pissed Kidd off, even though he knew the other man wasn't awake or in any shape, for that matter, to say anything.

By the time Kidd reached his ship, he was in a highly irate mood, and he wanted nothing more than to lock himself up in his cabin as he sorted out what he was going to do now. Aside from destroying the next thing he happened to set eyes on that looked worthy of taking down.

Even Kidd's crew appeared to realize what state their captain was in, and gave him a wide berth as he passed by them on the way toward the cabins. No one said a word about Kidd returning with what appeared to be a dead body, even if said dead body was breathing if one looked at closely enough. Kidd caught sight of one of his crewmates, and strode purposefully toward them. Without a word, Kidd handed Penguin over to a thoroughly confused Heat, who took the Heart Pirate, even as he spoke.

"Boss?" Heat questioned, as he glanced at the limp man he now held, before he lifted his gaze to watch Kidd's back as he walked by.

Killer reached out and seized Kidd's right arm as he went by him, "What happened, Kidd?" He knew in an instant that something had gone wrong, but with the way Kidd was acting, Killer doubted he would find out any time soon what had happened. But with the lack of Law's presence, Killer presumed it had to do with the Heart Pirate captain. He wasn't going to bother asking until Kidd was not in such an obviously foul mood.

"I'm going to my cabin." Kidd muttered as he shook his arm free. Without another word he continued on his way. The redhead gave no reason as to why he had come back with an injured Penguin instead of Law, whom he had left the ship with. Nor did Kidd give any response as to why he now wanted to be alone.

Killer let his captain keep on walking to his destination. He could tell when the redhead was not in the mood to talk. "Take him to an open cabin." Killer said, indicating Penguin, once Kidd had gone and locked himself in his cabin.

"Right..." Heat said, and even as he walked away to do so, he cast a look the way his captain had gone.

Killer watched them go before he decided that he would have to have the navigator set a steady course. At least until Kidd decided to emerge from his cabin and tell them if they were heading to their rendezvous point with Hawkins and Apoo or not. Killer had the uneasy feeling that Kidd was going to try and do something about Law. As soon as Killer finished his task, he briefly paused on his way past Kidd's cabin door. He heard nothing from within, so the masked man figured that, for the time being, that that was likely a good thing. Other times that Kidd had gone and locked himself in the cabin normally meant that there was going to be future damage or destruction to property. If the redhead was quiet…

Killer shook his head as he continued on his way. If Kidd were being quiet, then that meant that he was probably worn out and had made the decision to take a nap. Killer decided against thinking about what could have caused said weariness, though he was fairly positive that he had a certain smirking pirate responsible for the state Kidd currently was in. At least if his redheaded captain was asleep, there was less of a chance for anything to be destroyed, and that would be good for their money. They had had to dish out a lot of the last time that Kidd had decided to go on a rampage. It had been Law's fault that time, indirectly. It had been when Kidd had first learned of the Heart Pirate's antics in the New World.

Some sleep would probably do Kidd good, Killer figured, as he had been more violence prone lately with the arrival of Trafalgar Law. Killer knew that he was going to eventually hear the whole story from Kidd, but since Law had not come back with the redheaded captain, Killer knew that meant that something happened.

And the passed out Heart Pirate in another cabin of the ship might have the answer as well, once he woke up.

-x-

Kidd kicked his door moodily after he had made sure that it was locked, before he prowled over to his bed. The redhead shed his coat off of his shoulders and draped it sloppily over the back of a nearby chair. With a grumble of irritation with what had happened in the past few hours, Kidd flopped down onto the bed in the room.

The redhead had not expected Penguin to pass out so suddenly, but he was not the kind of person to kick a man when he was down in an attempt to wake him. At least not anymore. Kidd had already experienced that when he had received the wounds that had left him one arm less and covered with scars. However, it didn't stop Kidd from getting irritated that he had been left with the injured Heart Pirate in the first place while Law had waltzed off who the hell knew where with Doflamingo.

Doflamingo…

Kidd growled something unintelligible as he kicked his boots of his feet. That pink wearing asshole. He was the reason that Law had been acting so weirdly, especially right before the dark haired man had slipped him some kind of sleeping pill. Kidd grinned at that thought. He was so going to get Law for that, when he came across him again. And the redhead planned on their next meeting being sooner rather than later. Kidd frowned as he settled onto his side, his right hand reaching up to his lips reflectively. The way that Law had kissed him after he had slipped him the drug…and the way that he had pleaded with him…

Kidd let out a long sigh. He needed to figure out what the hell Law had been thinking when he had kissed him like that. Kidd moved his hand so that he could rest his forearm over his eyes, desperately trying to fall asleep. The redheaded captain found that difficult to accomplish, and even though he needed the rest, the redhead found that his thoughts continued to drift back to Law...

' _Eustass-ya! Put me down!' Law snarled from where he was still thrown over one of Kidd's shoulders._

_Kidd dumped Law onto the ground none too gently on his back, and was quick to move in to press down so that he and the Heart Pirate were chest to chest. Kidd grinned down at Law when the other man gave him a ferocious glare in response to his actions. Kidd had just the thing to say until he was sidetracked by something that he hadn't taken much notice of before. The way Law gasped for breath as sweat trickled down the side of his face and down the side of his neck. Their earlier scuffle had obviously worn him out._

_Kidd blinked as he allowed his eyes to rove over the other man's body. What he could see of it, for now, anyway. After a moment of looking Law over, Kidd decided that he liked the dark haired pirate's sweaty, ruffled appearance. There was something satisfying about seeing the normally calm and coolly smiling Heart Pirate worn out like this. Kidd felt a hand up against his chest, and grinned again at Law. And leaned down to sneak in a kiss, which was obviously not what Law had been expecting, because he made a sound of indignation at the action, even though he didn't make any attempt to break the kiss._

_Kidd drew back after a moment and licked his lips. The glare from the other captain grew more intense, but it wasn't a fight Law was looking for when he reached up and yanked the redhead's goggles off. Kidd damn neared moaned as Law raked his hands through his hair, before they drew back and left Kid with mussed up hair and confusion._

_What the hell?_

_It was then that Kidd noticed the gleam that Law had in his eyes, coupled with that tiny, barely there smirk as the dark haired man's hands dipped down along his back, and then lower…_

Kidd shook himself out of his thoughts to realize that just the memory of what had happened less than four hours ago had made him feel decidedly uncomfortable in his own pants. Kidd glanced down and noted the bulge in his pants with trepidation.

Shit.

Kidd couldn't remember the last time just thinking about something had gotten him so damn aroused. And he hadn't even been _thinking_ about the part where they had had sex. Kidd glowered at the ceiling of his cabin. And that skinny son of a bitch wasn't around to do anything about the uncomfortable hard on he now had.

"Shit." Kidd muttered to himself. He hadn't had to jack off since he'd bumped into Law. Not that he usually had time to think about pleasuring himself with or without a partner, since he and his crew were constantly on the lookout for marines and other assholes that always seemed to be looking for a way to ruin their day. Kidd shifted again before he stilled, the movement rubbing the fabric against his hardened member and making things worse than he already believed they were. Kidd let out a frustrated sigh and gave the door to his cabin a wary look. It really was a shame that the Heart Pirate captain wasn't with him, as by now he would have been teasing the redhead mercilessly. Kidd felt a friendly twitch that reminded him of his aroused state.

Crap.

He head to think about something, anything else other than the hardened dick he now sported from just thinking about that sly son of a bitch. It was incredibly fucked up that he was in this state to begin with, and Kidd didn't want to think at all what that could mean. Especially when he felt so strongly from just a mere memory that it had made his body react so much already. Kidd grit his teeth as he squirmed a little on his bed. Nope. He couldn't ignore it after all. With another furtive glance at the door, as if he thought one of his crew would barge in, Kidd sunk off of his bed and onto the ground. There was no way in hell he was jacking off in his own bed. He had no desire to clean anything, especially not his sheets. He also didn't want any good natured poking from his crew about his decision to do certain…activities.

Kidd huffed inwardly at that as he closed his eyes and unbelted his pants. His body responded to that with another twitch, and Kidd damn near snarled something as he slipped a hand down his boxers. It wasn't that he was opposed to doing this. It was the fact that that fucking bastard Law was responsible for getting him hot and bothered like this in the first place. And then not even having the decency to be around to do anything about it for him. Kidd moved his hand along firmly, thoughts drifting again as he wondered just why Law had such an effect on him.

' _What are you doing?' Law asked mildly as Kidd started to remove his pants. He obviously knew, because he was wearing the faintest hint of a smile._

' _What the fuck do you think I'm doing?' Kidd grumbled. He knew Law was just messing around with him, and was pointedly making it difficult to remove the pants. Kidd glared at Law as he gripped one of the dark haired man's legs and tugged the pants down slowly, "Quit that."_

' _Quit what?" Law asked, as he moved his leg that was within Kidd's grasp as he leaned backward and rested his back on the ground of the cavern. Law was quiet as Kidd finished removing his pants before he spoke again, 'And you picked a terrible place for this. My back is going to get rubbed raw.'_

' _I can think of another place I'm gonna make raw.' Kidd grinned, pleased when he noticed that the other man hadn't bothered with boxers. The redhead settled over Law and started to nip the side of his neck. 'And why the hell are you complaining?' Kidd reached down with his left hand and slid it along the dark haired man's half hardened arousal, 'Cause this sure as hell tells me otherwise.'_

' _Of course my body is going to react to someone's touch.' Law asked darkly, even as he wrapped his arms around the back of Kidd's neck and ran his hands through the redhead's damp, sweaty hair, 'And you do realize that you are delaying me in getting to my crewmate.'_

' _Because someone isn't thinking clearly. Thought you needed to do something about that.' Kidd muttered against Law's throat, even as his eyes slipped close to enjoy the sensation of the surgeon's hands caressing through his hair and against his scalp._

_Law's hands stilled in the redhead's hair, "And you think that fucking in the wilderness is going to accomplish giving me a clear mind?' Law let out a soft moan at something Kidd did, before he added, 'You are delusional.'_

' _You never know. It might work.' Kidd murmured against the other man's tanned skin, before he moved his head to kiss Law as his right hand reached up to dig similarly through the dark haired doctor's hair._

Kidd ran his hand along absently, annoyed that his body responded immediately. Kidd bit his lip to keep himself as silent as he could.

Shit.

He was fucking aroused as hell and he had barely even started to touch himself. Kidd's mind strayed to the end of his and Law's previous encounter, and held back a small groan of annoyance as he remembered how good Law looked when he fucked him. Not that he would have ever admitted that out loud. Mainly because Law was likely to kill him for it if he ever uttered such a thing.

_Law swatted Kidd's shoulder as the redhead leaned in to kiss him again._

_Kidd narrowed his eyes but wore a grin as he thrust again, and made the other captain squirm and cling to him, 'Problem?' Kidd asked as he leaned in close again and shifted his hips as he thrust again. He grinned further as he managed to sneak in a kiss, just because he knew it would piss the dark haired surgeon off._

_Law broke the brief kiss with a hiss of irritation even as his arms wrapped around Kidd's back even more tightly, nails digging in slightly as he felt Kidd rest his head against his neck. 'You fuck too slow.' Law angled his hips slightly for emphasis, though he was obviously frustrated when there was little movement._

_Kidd snorted, 'You were the one who told me to slow down.' And the redhead had, as he thought that the other man was uncomfortable. He didn't want that, since he wanted to get another chance to fuck Law later._

_Another thrust._

_Law drew in a sharp breath before he bit the side of Kidd's shoulder that was within reach harshly, 'I wasn't ready before, you fool.'_

_Kidd's breath hitched as a hand swatted his ass. Then he smiled again as he felt Law's hands cup his cheeks and angled his head for a rather heated kiss. Kidd's eyes had closed of their own accord as he allowed Law to lead the kiss, before he joined in, moaning something into the other man's mouth as the two fought for dominance. As soon as Kidd was freed from the kiss, he was disoriented. As soon as Kidd's mind came back online, the redhead realized that Law still held his cheeks between his hands, and was smiling at him faintly._

'… _I am ready now, so stop being so damn slow. I want to feel you.'_

"Fuck." Kidd groaned in frustration. That sexy, burning stare that had accompanied that statement had made him thrust erratically, as if those words ignited a renewed sense of urgency to do just as Law had told him to. It was no doubt why Law's smirk had become more pronounced, as if he knew just what effect he had had on the redhead.

And right now, all alone in his cabin…

Kidd's eyes squeezed shut, his breath uneven as his hand moved a tad faster. He was close, he could feel it. Another few squeezes of his hand along his member, and Kidd threw his head back and hit the edge of his bed. Breathing heavily, Kidd let out a slow breath and slipped his right hand out of his boxers. He stared at his hand, before he looked away with a faint blush.

Well, shit.

Apparently Law had much more of an effect on him than he had initially believed. And it pissed Kidd off to no end that he wasn't sure what to do about it.

-x-

Dreams were supposed to be an escape from reality, but Penguin was not so fortunate to avoid the past that had come back to haunt him while asleep.

_Penguin toiled away as he always did, while he ignored those who spoke. They were of no concern to him. They never had been. They were merely there as another reminder of just where he was and how hopeless it was to try and escape. There had been others who had tried, but they had all ended up dead. It was discouraging, but the idea of never being able to leave was demoralizing, and led some of the people around him to suicide._

_He lifted his head to peer out from beneath the hat he had acquired a few months ago. It was a ratty little thing, but it hid his hair and shaded his eyes. It had been given to him by another of the 'workers'. Penguin smiled to himself. That was the title those that oppressed them used, but there was no other way around it. They were slaves, and the only way any of them was going to be able to escape was through death. Penguin's gaze lifted as he glanced to the site of the current hubbub around him. The three still figures that lay on the ground. The only people who actually mattered to him were never going to rise again. Not after what they had tried to do. Penguin's eyes closed briefly. They had almost done it. They had almost escaped, and here he was, still working away, instead on lying still on the ground. Because he had almost gone with them on the escape attempt, to escape this death sentence he and the others had been forced in to against their will._

_Penguin paused to watch, motionless, as the three still figures were wrapped in tarps and carried away. He didn't move from where he had stopped in his tracks, even as he felt a sharp strike across his back, accompanied by a low growl of an authoritative voice._

' _Get back to work, you scum.'_

_The voice was nothing. The whispers behind Penguin's back as the three dead bodies that had come about through his actions meant nothing. The next lash landed across his back harder, and staggered him. Penguin half turned to transfer his gaze to the one responsible._

_The man gave Penguin a superior look, "I said get back to work. Unless you fancy joining them." The man indicated the bodies being removed. 'There are always fools like them. It doesn't matter though. There are always more to replace them.'_

_Something snapped within Penguin. He couldn't stand people he had cared about being mocked as if they were insignificant. Penguin moved like a blur and within moments he was right in front of the speaker, and he rammed his hand up sharply into the man's throat. A sharp snap rang out and the man was on the ground. "You can join them." Penguin murmured softly, even as the guards nearby converged on him._

_Penguin let slip a bitter smile as he turned on the guards. If they killed him, he did not care. He was going to take as many of these inhumane people as he could. People who mocked the dead were the real scum. Penguin wasn't sure how many he had killed or knocked out, because he had exhausted himself to the point that all anyone had to do to stop him was to trip him._

_He went down, but Penguin barely felt the beating that followed. The shouts that came from the other slaves, the yelling from the guards. Penguin instead chose to focus on the three who had died. He felt it was his fault, all because of a mistake he had made on his part. Because of that mistake, the only people that Penguin had ever counted as friends in this hellhole of a place were now…_

Penguin woke abruptly with a harsh breath of air, his heart racing. It took him only seconds to realize that he was not in the past any longer. The Heart Pirate ran a hand over his face as he let out a low sigh as his mind slowly came back into the present and away from the painful past.

A dream…

A nightmare…

He hated any time that he had to relive those unpleasant memories.

Penguin dropped his hand to the side to take stock of his surroundings. The last thing that he could remember was that he had passed out on the island with Kidd standing nearby. It was blank after that. Penguin cast his gaze to the side. He was not on the island anymore. That much was clear. He was in a small cabin instead. With a stab of dread, Penguin had a moment of wondering if he were back on Doflamingo's ship, when he saw that it was subtly different.

The familiar sensation of the rolling waves rocking beneath him put Penguin at ease, until he remember what had happened. Penguin grit his teeth. Law should not have given in so easily. Penguin knew that Law was strong if he so chose to be, and could use his Devil Fruit effectively. If nothing else, he should have put up a fight, even if it might have led Doflamingo to kill him. Law should have just let Doflamingo do away with him, no matter how much it would have pained the dark haired captain to do so, and kept away. That brought forth more memories. And one that in particular that was connected to the dream Penguin had just had. Of a similar choice Penguin had had to make, painful but necessary, so as to not waste the other person's sacrifice.

Penguin was grateful to hear a door open. The distraction would be welcome. The Heart Pirate propped himself up against the wall the bed was against, and eyed the Kidd Pirates that entered. Killer and Heat. Penguin figured that Kidd might show himself at some point.

"You're awake."

As he made a noncommittal rasp of assent, Penguin made himself more comfortable. And then it hit him that he was not wearing a shirt, and the wounds that Doflamingo had given him had been treated and bandaged, including his throat. Funny. From the scars and general look of the crew, Penguin wouldn't have pegged any of them as having any medical knowledge. It was obvious that someone did, as that person would have had to have been able to keep Kidd from dying from his wounds. Some had looked particularly nasty.

Killer offered a piece of paper and a pen. "Kidd said that you throat was damaged and couldn't speak."

Penguin took the offered materials, though he was careful with his right hand as he settled the paper on his lap. Another reminder of how nasty Doflamingo had been. The older man had nearly broken his wrist.

"Boss said that you saw Law with Doflamingo?" Heat questioned, exchanging glances with Killer.

Or at least, Penguin thought he did. The Heart Pirate didn't even need to write anything. He just nodded glumly. So much for distractions.

"Did your captain say anything to you?" Killer asked as he crossed his arms.

Penguin scribbled his response, so Killer came forward to read it. **'Only that it seemed like he was sure that Kidd would find my crewmates and leave me with them.'**

Killer shook his head, "Confident about that, was he?"

' **The captain does that sometimes. Makes assumptions that people will do things.'** Penguin's expression was exasperated, as if he found his captain trying.

Heat made a sound that was a smothered laugh, "Boss does that too."

"What do I do?" Kidd questioned as he entered the cabin. He stopped next to Heat and threw him a curious look.

"That you are impulsive." Killer supplied, unperturbed by the scowl aimed his way by his captain.

Kidd turned to Penguin, "Oy, you, how do we contact your crew? I got emperors to find and take down. I ain't gonna have you around to get killed." Kidd rolled his eyes at the obvious surprise from the men around him, "Fuck off, all of you. I just don't want Trafalgar to fucking ride my ass over getting one of his crew killed."

Killer coughed, obviously trying to not follow that particular train of thought, "I'm sure he would if you did." Killer said gravely.

Heat failed to hold back a short laugh, but shut up quickly in case Kidd decided to take issue.

Kidd didn't, however, as he nearly groaned instead as he immediately realized how his words must have sounded, "Dammit, Killer. Don't."

Penguin ignored them. He didn't want to think about Law and Kidd having sex. It wasn't his business anyway, even if he didn't approve. What his captain did was his own decision. For the most part. Except when it came to things like going to Doflamingo for selfish reasons. Penguin offered the piece of paper with a contact for a transponder snail, along with a quick worded scrawl. **'This is one of the snails with my crew. They should still be in the area.'**

Kidd was about to take it when Killer plucked it away from his grasp, "Hey!"

"You are not good with diplomacy, Kidd." At the shrug and grunt of agreement, Killer turned and left the cabin. Not ten minutes later, the blond returned and spoke without being prompted to do so, "They answered. They'll meet us in two hours from our current position. They'll take Penguin off the coast of Split Leaf Island."

"Weren't we going to pass that?" Heat asked.

"We are." Killer turned to Kidd, "Is that all right with you?"

Kidd nodded, before he stretched and headed for the door, "I'm gonna go fix something."

Penguin watched Heat follow after Kidd, before he and Killer met eyes. Or rather, Penguin looked at Killer's mask. He nodded. He couldn't write anything, as the paper was gone. But the message should be clear. He was grateful for the help.

Killer nodded silently in return, obviously understanding, before he, too, left the cabin.

-x-

"Penguin. Don't move around so much. I don't know if that will reopen your wounds or not."

Shachi…

Penguin's brow furrowed before he opened his eyes. He was silent for a moment before he gave Shachi and some other members of his crew a perplexed look. Wait. Hadn't he been on Kidd's ship moments ago?

Shachi quickly caught on to Penguin's confusion, "You were asleep when we brought you on board. Here." Shachi offered a mug, "It's some medicine from the cabinet. I remember the captain saying it was for throat injuries."

Penguin took the mug and took a sip, before making a face. Not the best tasting medicine. Penguin sipped some more. Then again, no medicine ever was. As he drank, Penguin held still for the most part to allow a few of the crew to check his bandages and his wounds.

Shachi was silent as he waited for them to finish. Once the other crewmembers left, Shachi approached the bed and spoke quietly, "Is it true? Did Law really go to Doflamingo to get you back?" Shachi saw Penguin nod, and his shoulders slumped.

Penguin figured that Shachi must have spoken to Kidd and his crew while he was out. He must have been tired enough if he had slept through being carried between two ships.

"Penguin?"

The Heart Pirate lifted his head to look at Shachi. He saw the interested look of his crewmate, and realized that he didn't have his hat on. Doflamingo must have knocked it off while capturing him. Penguin settled his gaze on his crewmate's shaded glasses, and waited patiently.

Shachi seemed to realize that he was staring, and looked away from Penguin's steady gaze, "…The captain was going to go to Doflamingo to protect us? When he had told us not to bother you, and that we should set sail from Cliff Rock?"

Penguin nodded again.

Shachi looked back at Penguin, "And that was when you left to go after the captain?" Seeing another nod, Shachi added hesitantly, "And that was when Doflamingo…captured you when you were protecting the captain?" At the nod, Shachi appeared to be at a loss. Which was how the man across from him must have felt as well.

Penguin was utterly taken aback when Shachi rose to his feet, his voice raised in anger, "What the hell were you thinking?! If you knew that the captain was in danger, why did you go by yourself? Why didn't you tell the rest of us? Why did you just let us leave?"

Penguin had no paper to write a response. He did try, however, to speak, and after a few garbled nonsense sounds, he managed to form a faint, chopped word, "Pro…tect…"

Shachi shook his head. He was surprised that Penguin could even speak. His throat had looked badly damaged. "That doesn't mean that you should have gone alone. What if Doflamingo hadn't captured you? What if he had killed you instead? He wouldn't have killed Law. That's obvious now. We could have followed after them and tried to help our captain as a crew. Not just one individual. What were you thinking?"

Penguin looked away. He had acted purely on instinct, and what had happened to him in the past. He had wanted to protect Law. A person that he called friend. And because Penguin had not told anyone just how much Doflamingo had wanted Law back in his crew, Penguin had gone off on his own to keep the rest of the crew out of danger.

"You can't act like our captain and keep things to yourself. We're all in this together. We need to help each other. We're friends, aren't we?" Shachi's anger died away as he sunk onto the chair next to the bed Penguin was resting on, "Did the captain…say anything to you?" Starting, Shachi leaned over and handed over some paper and a pen.

Penguin took the offering and sat up slightly to write a response. **'He told me that Kidd would get me back to the rest of our crew. That I should take the medicine for my throat.'** Penguin hesitated, before adding. **'He also said that he was sorry.'**

Shachi closed his eyes briefly, "Captain does care…he just doesn't think things through like he believes he does. He doesn't expect us to stay away, does he?" Shachi opened his eyes to watch Penguin write.

' **I think that he does, even though he should know better. He probably thinks to keep us safe, and out of Doflamingo's reach.'**

"He does try to protect us more than he thinks." Shachi commented, obviously reflecting about how Law had left them behind to go to Punk Hazard, and then to Dressrosa. Shachi looked at Penguin from above his shades, "I guess you're going to be foolhardy and suggest that we go after the captain?"

Penguin stared at Shachi blankly as he wrote his query. **'What do you mean?'**

"Law didn't tell you?" Shachi sighed, "I guess he didn't outright say it before." Since Penguin still appeared to be in the dark, Shachi elaborated, "You do realize that the captain telling you to take care of the crew if something happened to him was basically him naming you captain, if for whatever reason he didn't or couldn't return to us?"

Penguin's eyes widened a fraction, before his expression settled into one of displeasure, his writing more jagged as he all but dug the pen into the paper as he wrote. **'If he had said that, I would not have let him get off of the ship in the first place.'**

"I know. None of us would have wanted him to go. But all the same, the rest of the crew will expect you to take command for the time being, now that the captain isn't around." Shachi watched Penguin closely, "So, what do you want to do?" Shachi watched Penguin write, and the redheaded crewmate smiled at what was written.

' **We go get our captain back, no matter what.'**

"I'll tell the others." Shachi said as he got up.

They wouldn't leave their captain where he was. Not with Doflamingo. As Penguin had written, no matter what happened, they would go after their captain.

-x-

Law was honesty surprised that Doflamingo had allowed him free reign on the ship. The dark haired man smiled bitterly as he leaned up against the railing of the deck and stared out to sea. Not that there was anywhere for him to go, and even if Law tried to run, his crew would be in danger again. Law closed his eyes. He still couldn't shake the feeling of guilt at the memory of leaving Penguin behind, and hoped that Kidd would have at least taken his injured crewmate off the island. Law opened his eyes and stared at the waves silently. And that was when something caught his eye. Another ship. At first, Law thought that it might be another of Doflamingo's, but the closer it sailed, dread soon began to set in. The ship looked a lot like…

"Doffy! It's Straw Hat Luffy's ship!"

Law dimly registered the voice as Trebol's, but his attention was solely on the Thousand Sunny as it got closer and closer. Law ground his teeth, irritation with the other captain apparent on his face. What the hell did Straw Hat think he was doing?

"Interesting."

Law held perfectly still as a shadow fell over him as Doflamingo came to stand next to him to take a good look at the ship. Law's skin crawled as the older man chuckled again.

"Fufufufu. Well, isn't this interesting. We never did finish out last meeting."

Law felt that that sounded ominous, and knew that there was no way in hell everyone had had nearly enough time to recover from their wounds. Thinking fast, the Heart Pirate spoke disinterestedly, "Don't you have better things to do? I thought you said that Straw Hat-ya wasn't worth your time." Law winced as an invisible string clipped his upper left arm. Law bit his lip at the sting that had opened up a small wound, but otherwise did not move from where he stood.

"Send out a few rounds." Doflamingo called out to some people that Law couldn't see.

Law remained still as Doflamingo hunched over to hiss at him in a dangerously low voice, "Do not test me, Law. Save your defiance for another day. I am not in the mood to deal with it right now."

Law bit back a retort, as he knew he shouldn't rise to the bait. Doflamingo was likely hoping for an excuse to incapacitate him while he dealt with Straw Hat and his crew. Instead of giving the older man what he expected, Law continued to watch the Thousand Sunny sail to within a ship length of Doflamingo's ship. Law didn't dare try to raise his room with Doflamingo standing so close to him, so the dark haired surgeon watched with a smirk of satisfaction as a bandaged Luffy and Sanji deflected the oncoming canon fire. Law wrapped his hand tightly around the katana's hilt that he had been leant by Diamante. Law almost was startled into laughter at the absurdity of it all when Luffy spotted him from the deck of the other ship.

"Hey! Tra-guy! Why are you with Mingo?" Luffy yelled, waving his bandaged arms nonetheless at Law in greeting.

Law would have loved to see Doflamingo's expression at that, but all he heard a low growl and grinding of teeth, and knew he shouldn't press his luck. Doflmingo's temper obviously hadn't improved, and Law knew that it was due to ten years of work being pulled out from beneath him. Instead of looking at the obviously angry Doflamingo, Law checked to see who else was on the deck of the other ship. With a quick once over, Law spotted Nami, Robin and Brook. If there were others, the dark haired surgeon couldn't tell from where he stood. Law tensed up as Doflamingo stooped lower and threw an arm around his shoulder, in a friendly way. But Law felt the tension in the other man, and heard the slyness in Doflamingo's voice as he no doubt grinned widely at Straw Hat as he spoke, anger hidden instantly as he tried to goad the other captain.

"Why, you ask? Fufufu." Doflamingo rested his arm heavily on Law's shoulders, nearly making the other man stagger under the weight, "Why, it's because he is rejoining my crew."

"It doesn't look like he wants to be there." Nami commented in response.

Law turned a helpless laugh into a cough as Luffy added his two cents.

"No he isn't! He was going to join mine! He's my friend!"

Law bit back another laugh, but was unable to prevent a small sound from escaping as his shoulders shook in silent amusement. Ordinarily Luffy's words would have annoyed him, but as he knew it would bother the older man next to him, he let it slide this time. Luffy certainly was optimistic despite being injured. Law winced as Doflamingo's hand gripped his shoulder. "Is something wrong, Joker-ya?" The dark haired Heart Pirate asked lightly as he finally glanced out of the corner of his eye up at the taller man, a faint smirk across his features, "Or were you going to continue to attack them?"

Doflamingo briefly flashed bared teeth in a terrible grin at Law, before he waved his free hand to attack again. Over the canon fire, Doflamingo spoke as he looked down at Law, not bothering to see if the canon fire connected or not, "I am, if you haven't noticed, and I hope you know that I will not let you continue to cheek me after this is over with."

That was fine with Law. He assumed as much. He hoped to goad Doflamingo into doing something stupid in the meantime, so that he could take advantage of the fact that Straw Hat had shown up so unexpectedly. "You're welcome to try and stop me." Law almost expected Doflamingo to hit him again with his string, but instead was sent sprawling onto the deck with a hefty slap on the back from Doflamingo as the older man cracked up.

"Oh Law, I suppose I will have to remind you of some things that you have obviously forgotten since we last met." Doflamingo raised a hand as he flexed his fingers contemplatively, "I do recall telling you that I hate it when people look down on me."

Law was prepared for the attack to fall, and expected the painful sensation of the string cutting into his flesh. Had anticipated it. Law was understandably surprised when he didn't feel any pain, until he saw why. With a smirk, Law dropped to the ground and grappled Doflamingo's legs, much to the older man's displeasure.

"What is that supposed to do?" Doflamingo asked, wondering what the hell Law thought he was doing. But he saw the smug look on Law's face, and sharply looked up at a commotion that had broken out on the Thousand Sunny. And registered that Luffy was now hurtling through the air toward him. Law's actions were clear in that instant and Doflamingo tried to shake him off as Luffy got closer.

Law hung on grimly, even as he felt Doflamingo begin to land harsh strikes to his arms to get him to let go.  Law did his best to ignore the pain as he waited to hear the satisfying sound a fist striking flesh, the Heart Pirate captain expecting Luffy's punch to land as solidly as it had back in Dressrosa.

"Red Hawk!"


	10. Chapter 10

Doflamingo had expected many things from the Heart Pirate captain he had practically blackmailed into returning to his crew. Hell, Doflamingo had even anticipated Law being a bit of a brat about being dragged off from his crewmate earlier, and being some sort of a nuisance for awhile longer, but this? The older pirate felt Law's arms tighten around his ankles, and Doflamingo's smile turned into a displeased frown. This was something that Doflamingo had not anticipated, and he was furious that Law had the gall to cling to his legs in such a way. Doflamingo knew that the dark haired pirate that clung doggedly to his legs had to have known what would happen for such an interference. After all, as soon as Doflamingo had caught sight of Luffy hurtling through the air at him, Law's intentions became perfectly clear to him. It did not please Doflamingo in the least bit.

The Heart Pirate was trying to allow Straw Hat to get a direct hit on him, despite knowing what the consequences would be.

Doflamingo sneered. What a shame. It seemed that Law still hadn't learned his lesson. Perhaps he should have killed Penguin in front of Law as a warning to not do exactly what he was doing right now. Doflamingo supposed he had been a little lenient because he had wanted to get going, and at the time Law had come along back to his ship without too much complaint. Apparently, the other pirate had been holding back on him. And as much as he wanted to do something about it, Doflamingo could not take the time at that very moment to correct Law's behavior. Doflamingo knew for a fact that at any moment the marines would show themselves, as they have proven to be very persistent in their pursuit. It was Fujitora's doing, no doubt after learning more of the older blond's plans behind Dressrosa. Doflamingo withheld a sigh, as if he found the marines pursuing him to be very inconvenient due to being caught after ten years of flying under the radar. Most unfortunately, Doflamingo was now forced to find a way to hide away from the marines until they became lax in their search. Being held up by a bunch of brats and dealing with them was not on his list of things to do. Doflamingo's gaze flicked up to the blur flying toward him through the air.

And speaking of brats...

"I hope you know what is going to happen once I have dealt with Straw Hat Luffy, Law." Doflamingo said softly, his words full of menace as he glared down at the younger man that still clung to his legs. The blond haired pirate's smile deepened as he turned his attention to Luffy for the moment. He had ample time to prevent the Straw Hat captain from landing the unprovoked attack on him, and did so by freeing one long leg from Law's grasp as he braced himself on the deck, ready for the strike. Doflamingo knew that the previous swipe of his hand with string had injured the dark haired pirate's arms so that they were not able to get quite as good a grip. But even with the dark haired pirate's arms weakened from the gashes, Doflamingo could feel Law merely rewrap his arms around one of the blond's legs.

Doflamingo honestly didn't see the point, but refrained from kicking Law for now. It was kind of entertaining that Law thought that he was doing anything of use by grappling his legs. With his brow furrowed and his features a nasty smile, Doflamingo brought one arm up and used armament haki to block Luffy's incoming attack, though he did get sent back a foot or so from the force with which Luffy had struck him, before Doflamingo could dig his heels in. It was a bit difficult to do so with Law still clinging to one of his legs like a limpet. Doflamingo kept his arm up and grinned past his forearm at the younger captain, "Straw Hat Luffy, I could have sworn I had beaten you earlier, back on Dressrosa." With a careless flick of his arm, Doflamingo sent Luffy flying backward across the deck of his ship, his grin deepening in its intensity as Luffy merely landed lightly on the deck of the ship and struck a fighting stance.

"Those marines interrupted us back then." Luffy said, cracking his knuckles. "We weren't done with our fight."

Doflamingo laughed again at that. It amused him that Luffy thought that he was his equal in a fight. It really was laughable, "Fufufufu. It wouldn't have mattered either way. You still would have lost had they not come." The older pirate tilted his upper body to one side as Luffy went careening past him again, his attack completely missing this time. Doflamingo watched Luffy land, and as much as he'd rather deal with the fool himself, he wanted to get his crew out of range of the marine admirals that were no doubt bearing down on them at this very moment. However, that did not mean that Doflamingo was going to allow Luffy and his crew to remain in tact if he could help it. His own personal touch could come later should they get away again. Doflamingo just couldn't be bothered to use his powers at the moment.

As ideas of what to do other than firing cannons at the other ship, Doflamingo froze as something dug into his bare shin. As pain began to register in his mind, Doflamingo slowly brought his gaze down briefly to be greeted with the sight of a grim faced Law. A grim faced Law who currently held a dagger by its hilt, and from the looks of it, had plunged the blade into the blond's skin with more force then was necessary. Doflamingo's jaw set against the burn that began to rise from the wound, and inwardly wondered where the fuck the damn brat had sneaked the dagger from. He had an inkling, and was displeased that he would have to have another conversation with Baby 5 about letting people talk her into giving them things. In fact, Doflamingo ought to keep them separated until he didn't have to worry about Law filching weapons to use against him.

"Mingo!"

Doflamingo leaned his head to the right as Luffy narrowly missed clipping his jaw, and made a incensed sound in the back of his throat. Luffy was not important at the moment. Law was, as the fucking brat had just stabbed him, and apparently from the curl of his lip, had enjoyed it. That was something that Doflamingo was not going to wait to address. Especially when Law shoved the blade in a tad deeper. If that brat had hit an artery or bone...

"Doffy?"

Doflamingo slid a glance to the side, momentarily distracted from the searing burn in his shin, "Didn't I tell you lot to open fire on Straw Hat Luffy's ship?" The blond haired pirate stiffened as Trebol was suddenly right in front of him, presumably to see if Doflamingo needed any assistance with a surly, stab-prone dark haired pirate.

"Hey, hey, what's Law doing?"

Doflamingo absently pressed his free foot down on Law's nearest arm, which caused an immediate hiss of pain as Law was forced to drop his hand from the dagger's hilt if he didn't want his arm crushed. Satisfied that he had temporarily stopped Law, Doflamingo addressed Trebol, "You're too close. And I am dealing with this one my own. Concern yourself with getting those cannons to fire at the masts of Straw Hat's ship."

Trebol considered Doflamingo's words before he nodded and moved off, even if he had seen Law inching his non trapped hand back toward the dagger's hilt. As he went, Trebol wrangled Lao G and a few of the nearest of the crew to continue to launch an assault on the Thousand Sunny.

As soon as Trebol had gone, Diamante had taken his place, though he did not bother himself with looking down at Law. He obviously felt Doflamingo had the situation under control as he gave a brief overview of the start of their fight with the other crew, "They're cutting and striking the cannons down. We have a surplus of cannons, but it would be a waste if none of them made contact. Should we switch tactics?"

Doflamingo's brow had creased in slight pain, as he felt Law shift and use his other hand to draw the dagger out and go in for another stab. Doflamingo flicked a finger in Law's general direction, and knew from the curse and lack of new pain that he had caught and now had Law in place with his Devil Fruit. Which he should have done in the first place. That accomplished, Doflamingo's smile returned as he addressed the other man that had spoken, "A genius such as yourself should need no other order than to attack the enemy, isn't that right, Diamante?"

"Come now, Doffy, don't say that, I am not that good with..."

"But you are a genius. Remember the coliseum?" Doflamingo said, his grin wider as he amused himself with teasing his crewmate a little, "I wouldn't let you have as much free reign otherwise if I didn't trust your judgment."

"You can't be serious though..."

Doflamingo gave a little shrug, as if changing his mind, "Well then, I take it..."

"Fine! If you insist that I am a genius when it comes to attacking the enemy as asked, I am!" Emboldened, Diamante strolled off and began to rearrange the cannons, shouting at a few of the other crew on the higher up deck to switch to smaller projectiles that would be harder to strike out of the air.

Doflamingo's voice was taut as he addressed Law, as if he were holding back a great rage, his fingers angling slightly to make the string that held Law in place cut into the skin. "I won't forget that, Law." Doflamingo indicated the wound in his shin that was bleeding, "I hope you enjoyed your little outburst while you could." Doflamingo turned and flexed his other hand at Luffy as he halted the teen in the air mid punch. Doflamingo spoke to Law without bothering to look at him, "Stay down there and behave. This will all be over soon."

-x-

Law knew that it would be all over soon, as Doflamingo had just said, but that didn't mean he was about to allow Doflamingo to have his way. The Heart Pirate had to act now, before the rest of Doflamingo's crew could really begin to attack Straw Hat's ship in earnest. Law carefully tested just how much of a control Doflamingo's Devil Fruit power had over him, and was pleased to find that, while he could not move, he was able to call up on his own Devil Fruit powers. And finding that out wasn't a moment too soon, because as soon as he felt Doflamingo's control over his body leave, Law saw the older blond slash his hand toward Straw Hat with vicious intent. The Heart Pirate hastily used his powers to divert Doflamingo's attacks despite the fact that he knew that the retaliation would be swift. Law also made one more decision that he knew Doflamingo was going to hate him for. But it was necessary for the rest of the Straw Hats to get away, and show up at a better time and place than this. "Room!"

Law twisted his fingers sharply, his eyes on Luffy. He didn't know whether or not Luffy would be compliant in going along with what he was about to do, but Law felt that Straw Hat would just have to deal with it. Law somehow doubted that it would make Luffy disinterested in being frineds with him. No, this was likely only to make things worse in that regard, but Law did so hate to think that Doflamingo could potentially get away with this. "Shambles!" And with that, Law had created a room large enough to swap a barrel on the Thousand Sunny with its captain. Law immediately dropped the room, as he did not want to waste any more energy with what he was sure to follow as soon as Doflamingo's attentions were not on the Thousand Sunny.

The retaliation that Law had expected from Doflamingo was fast in coming, though the dark haired pirate had not anticipated the pain that would accompany the damn string that made him know it was Doflamingo's doing. Law held perfectly still, as he was in no mood to allow the string to cut into his skin any more than it already had. The Heart Pirate had made a gamble and he just knew that from the way that Doflamingo was now considering him with a tilt of his head and a strained smile, that he was in danger of losing consciousness. Which was not a part of the plan Law had come up with just then. No, he still had a bit to say before he allowed Doflamingo to silence him in any way. So, Law looked away from the seething blond and over to Luffy's crew instead, as their captain had just jumped back up, no doubt ready to fling himself over the water again and back at Doflamingo. Which, from the sound of grinding teeth, was not the best of ideas with how angry Doflamingo appeared to be. Law swiftly weighed his options as he felt Doflamingo loom closer, before the dark haired pirate made a decision.

Law called out as loudly as he could to the Straw Hat crew, before Doflamingo could think to stop him, "Straw Hat-ya! Get away from this place! Go to where we spoke of! I will go when I am able to! The marines are coming!" Law could tell right away that Luffy did not want to go, but it was encouraging to see Zoro seize one of Straw Hat's arms to prevent him from jumping ship again. Unfortunately, Law was not able to see whether the rest of the crew had heeded his words, as Doflamingo chose that very moment in the silence following his words to harshly take him down to the deck. Law grimaced in pain at the burning sensation in his upper left arm, and knew that Doflamingo had just slashed him viciously with string. Before Law could try and do something, he felt string tether him to the deck of the ship. The Heart Pirate expected more of a punishment, but heavy footsteps receding it was clear that Doflamingo was more interested in dealing with a potential threat than an uruly subordinate that didn't know his place. Law let out a barely there wheeze of laughter at the very thought. He knew that this wasn't the extent of what Doflamingo had planned, and he menatally began to brace himself, because he knew that if and when Straw Hat and his crew got away, there was going to be hell to pay.

The dark haired pirate spent the next several long minutes going over in his head why he had gone with Doflamingo in the first place. His crew. His crew's safety, as well as Penguin's. He was not going to risk doing anything more after this for fear that Doflamingo may decide that it was more convenient to destroy Law's crew than to let them go free. Law heard several curses from various people running by, but knew that they were not aimed at him. No, everyone knew that Doflamingo was going to be the one to deal with him, so there was really no point in harassing him until after said disciplining had come to pass. Law hated to think that Doflamingo could just drag him back into the crew as if the last ten years of being away from him had just been some rebellious teen phase. The Heart Pirate closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before he let it out slowly.

No, Doflamingo didn't think that way. After all, he had said it himself that Law had been holding a grudge against him that he had no right to have in the first place.

Law grit his teeth as more cannon fire went off, accompanied by some laughs. He hated that he was back on this man's ship. Law wanted to get as far away from Doflamingo as he could, but in the end, here he was, back to a place he never thought he would be again. But this time, he was not willing to be there. Not anymore. He had good reason to be as far away from Doflamingo as possible, but Doflamingo had landed on the one thing that Law couldn't bear to lose now.

His crew.

And damn him for taking advantage of it.

Law opened his eyes and stared blankly at the deck of the ship. He was out of options at the moment, as he really did not want to think about Doflamingo cheerfully going to slaughter his crew if he decided Law's actions were enough to warrant it. But only if he could find them. Only if he could...

Shit.

The dark haired pirate held perfectly still as he realized with dread that he still had a vivre card on him that was linked to his crew. In his pocket. In the pants he happened to be wearing right now.

No...

Law cursed inwardly and dearly hoped that what he had done just now had not set Doflamingo off in that he would find a way to locate his crew and make an example of them for Law's insubordination. Even if Law did not consider himself a part of Doflamingo's crew in any way. Just as Law was desperately trying to figure out how to dispose of the vivre card discreetly, he heard Doflamingo curse, and then heard the heavy footsteps return.

"You certainly made a mess of things, you damn brat."

Oh boy, the demotion from his given name to brat. That did not bode well for him at all. But from the displeasure in Doflamingo's voice, at the very least it let Law know that Luffy and his crew had made the smart move and had retreated for the time being. Which was a big surprise in and of itself. Even though Law doubted that Luffy would have wanted to go in the first place. Law remained still as he felt the string leave his body, but the dark haired pirate didn't dare move, since he was not sure of Doflamingo's mood. But he soon was, as Law felt Doflamingo nudge him none too gently in the side.

"Get up."

The flat tone was not at all reassuring, but then again, nothing about Doflamingo ever was. Law couldn't believe that he had ever wanted to willingly be around this man.

Law rose slowly, acutely aware of the fact that he was in trouble, but at the same time he did not give a damn. His crew was safe so long as he stayed away and so did they, and as long as Doflamingo did not find the vivre card in his pocket. Straw Hat and his crew were safe as well too, for now. Law didn't bother trying to walk away, and merely followed after Doflamingo to the nearest cabin. He didn't, however, like how silent the rest of the crew was, nor the way Baby 5 had teared up and hugged Buffalo. It made the dark haired wonder just how angry Doflamingo was if this was the way the other members of his 'family' were reacting. The 'nice knowing you' from Trebol made Law do one last act of rebellion. He flipped the other man off, and winced as a large hand seized him firmly by the scruff of his neck (though at least Doflamingo had gotten a handful of clothing as well) and dragged him into the cabin, the door slamming shut. Law felt it had been worth it though, to see the clearly surprised look on Trebol's face. He supposed that the other had thought that Law would tread lightly, but really, he should have known better than that.

The dark haired pirate hated that he was being treated as a child as he was tugged along by Doflamingo into one of the cabins in the back if the ship, until they had reached what Law presumed was Doflamingo's personal cabin, from the spacious interior and suspiciously pink themed room. Had Law not feared for his life, or at the very least, his limbs, he may have been tempted to tease the older man about the choice of décor. Law could have sworn he had seen a damn flamingo before Doflamingo let go of him with a heavy shove. Law stumbled further into the large room, and even though he supposed that Doflamingo wanted him to end up on the ground, Law refused to do so, and instead straightened up. He didn't turn around though. If Doflamingo wanted him to look at him, he could damn well walk around to face him. Law now fully anticipated the coming punishment for what he had said and done. But the dark haired man had no regrets, and was not afraid as the door to the cabin closed behind him. The lock, however, made him inwardly squirm, even though he knew Doflamingo's intentions were nothing but punishment and discipline. It didn't mean he couldn't be at least slightly intimidated.

After all, Law had narrowly avoided any disciplining in the past through pure luck. And right now? Law highly doubted that Doflamingo was going to cause him any lasting harm. For the time being, he was far too valuable for that. Unless, of course, he pressed Doflamingo's buttons too much and changed the other man's mind. Law hoped that that time hadn't already arrived, but if nothing else, he was in for something painful, according to the rest of the crew. The dark haired pirate's thoughts fled as a hefty shove between his shoulder blades from Doflamingo sent him stumbling forward until he bumped into the nearest wall of the cabin.

No, it seemed to Law that Doflamingo had a mind to discipline him. Which he knew that the older man was more than happy to dish out without the danger of going too far.

-x-

"You're remarkably calm considering the circumstances." Doflamingo commented lightly as he watched Law about face and press his back up against the wall of the cabin.

Law's lips curled, "Would it help if I weren't? Would you prefer me to cower?" The dark haired man's voice made it obvious that he would do no such thing.

"Hm, it would certainly would help. How else would I be able to tell whether I am able to get through to you or not?" Doflamingo flicked his fingers at the dark haired pirate, and in a matter of seconds, had pierced the brat's limbs through with string to the cabin wall behind him. The choke of pain and disbelief at his actions made Doflamingo laugh darkly, "Fufufufu. Did you not think I would harm you?" Doflamingo languidly went up to Law to lean over him, testing the strings that had gone through Law's limbs, drawing out a harsh intake of breath. The older pirate flashed his teeth in a nasty smile, "If you thought that, you are a fool. A physical reminder makes a verbal reprimand much more effective. It keeps one's attention focused." Doflamingo's hand curled beneath Law's chin to tilt his head up so that he could look the dark haired man in the eyes. He laughed at the hate he could see in Law's eyes, "No matter how much you say or imply that you have changed, you still have a similar look in your eyes. That you hate the world around you."

Law jerked his head away from Doflamingo's hand, and the blond allowed it.

For now.

Doflamingo backed up a few steps before he began to pace back and forth in front of the tethered Heart Pirate, silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. He glanced out of the corner of his eyes, pleased that his glasses hid the action for the most part. From what he could see, Law was trying his hardest not to move lest he make the string that had pinned his arms and legs, as well as shoulders, to the wall. Doflamingo knew that it would hurt if there were any sudden movements and that was specifically why he chose to do things this way than with sea stone shackles. Not that Law seemed to have realized he could use his powers to escape the string. Maybe the brat was smarter than Doflamingo gave him credit for.

The older pirate spoke calmly as he continued inspecting his captive for any sudden movements, "I'm wondering, Law, what was the point of all that? You knew that you would not be allowed to get away with interfering, so why do it in the first place? I had thought you'd learned that when your crewmate decided to try and save you." Doflamingo grinned at the pained gasp, as Law had twitched at the comment. Doflamingo waited for the dark haired pirate to settle against the wall with a pained grimace before continuing, "Do you think that I won't go after your crew if you keep acting like this?"

"You will never find them." Law said, his breath coming out in a gasp. "And I won't tell you where they might be."

Doflamingo grinned, "Don't try to play grown up with me, Law. You will fail. You don't think I won't be able to use my resources to find them should you continue to be so difficult?" Doflamingo noted that Law's left hand twitched against his pants, and the older pirate's smile sharpened, "You need to work on schooling your body's reactions. You are making this too easy for me."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Law's fist clenched, but not fast enough to hide the slight shake, and it wasn't from the pain.

Doflamingo chuckled darkly as he approached Law again, "Well, well, what have we here? Are you hiding something from me?" Doflamingo smiled at the way that Law would not meet his eyes. "You are, aren't you?" Doflamingo's hand reached for the pocket, though his paused when Law's hand snapped over the pocket, despite making the string dig into his forearm and shoulder, which only caused him more pain. Doflamingo's hand moved in and gripped Law's, laughing, "Fufufu. There's no use in trying to hide it, whatever it is. You already gave it up as soon as you twitched your hand moments ago."

Law resisted the other man’s grip, his lips drawn into a thin line and his brow furrowed in pain.

"It's useless, Law." Doflamingo commented, as he let go of the dark haired pirate's hand and flicked a finger, and used string to forcefully drag Law's hand from his pocket, resulting in a pained groan. Doflamingo ignored Law in favor of the other pirate's pocket, and dipped a few fingers into it. His fingertips closed on a paper, and he figured he knew what it was by the slight trepidation in Law's expression that was mixed in with the agony of having his arm so roughly treated. Doflamingo drew out his prize, and grinned as he saw the small scrap of paper. It was as he thought.

A vivre card.

Doflamingo held the paper between thumb and forefinger, and watched as the little scrap of paper fluttered to the right that his ship was currently headed. Doflamingo's grin grew cruel as he looked down at Law, waving the vivre card, "I thought you knew better, Law, then to leave anything so important lying in plain sight. But then again, I guess I had never had anyone in the family train you in what to do should you be kidnapped or captured. We would have gotten to that eventually had you not run out on us. But it works out for me now, doesn't it?" Doflamingo's expression grew thoughtful, before he positively beamed at Law in quite a terrifying way, "I just had a wonderful thought. Why don't we test out a theory?"

When Law said nothing and merely settled for glowering at him, Doflamingo continued, anticipating getting quite a response out of the other pirate, "I think I will anchor my ship at the closest island, and see if your crew is following us. That'd be one way to see if they are smarter than you. That they should know when to quit, but..." Doflamingo shrugged carelessly, "I somehow doubt they're ones to just let things stay as they are. I know for a fact that...Penguin, was it? He won't leave you with me. I am sure that you know of his past. Perhaps you were even the one to drag that miserable fool from a life of slavery, but then again, maybe he just came crawling to you in the hopes that someone would make sure that his former masters would not be able to find him. I heard the people running that particular 'work group' are quite keen on getting their hands on him. And have been for nearly ten years." Doflamingo loved the look of horror spreading across Law's face, "Maybe I will contact them if I happen to have your foolish crewmate in my grasp again. They do have other slaves working on something, and they were apparently wanting to shove a former slave recaptured, and made an example of, if any of them thought it would be clever to try and run."

Law's voice had dropped into an icy tone of utter fury, "I will kill you if you get anywhere near him again."

Doflamingo turned away from Law, dismissing the threat completely, "You already had your chance to kill me. And guess what, Law? You failed. There is nothing you can do to stop me if I chose to pursue that particular train of thought. If nothing else, I think it would be good to see some consequences come from running around free for these past ten years, thinking that you can just come in and uproot my power I built up without thinking that there might be any fallout from doing so. But for now, I believe that this little game..." The older blond waved the vivre card, "...should make you realize that it is not a good idea to go against me. And if this doesn't stick, I think I will find a way to get your friend shipped off to be executed, and I'll take you with me for a front row seat. When I'm through with you, you may even enjoy the sight." Doflamingo shook his head as he sighed wistfully, "You used to be so hateful and cruel. It's such a shame that my little brother somehow made you into such a spineless coward."

Doflamingo didn't bother to look back to see what that comment had brought forth, and instead closed the cabin door to leave Law to strew in his own guilt. Doflamingo went to locate his navigator to change their course with the thought that he would deal with Law after he had a new course set. That last little comment that he had received from Law had been said with enough spite that Doflamingo supposed he would have to be a little heavy handed to get his point across.

Inside the cabin, Law desperately hoped that his crew had enough sense to stay away, because right now, there was nothing he could do to protect them should Doflamingo decide that something needed to be done about them.

-x-

Shachi paused on his way to the deck of the ship. He hadn't expected to be stopped, but it was kind of hard to not notice a piece of paper directly in front of his face. The redhead reached up and took the sheet of paper. He briefly made eye contact with Penguin, before he read what the other man had written.

_'_ **Have we figured out where the captain is?'**

Shachi shook his head, "No, we haven't. Not yet." The red haired Heart Pirate handed the paper back to Penguin, and indicated the door that led to the upper deck. "We surfaced to see where we were and to get our bearings. We were thinking about seeing which island we are closest to with the log pose. Perhaps someone will have seen something."

Penguin followed along after Shachi as he brought the paper up to write again. He avoided other crewmates as he walked, his thoughts his own as scribbled on the piece of paper again.

Both Heart Pirates came out onto the deck, and found the rest of their crewmates milling around. Shachi and Penguin exchange confused glances. There was quite the hubbub, and the only thing that either could think of as the cause was some news of their captain.

Shachi felt Penguin tap him on the shoulder, and after tearing his eyes from the sight of the rest of their crewmates, took the paper again to read it.

**'Have you tired Law's transponder snail?'**

Shachi shook his head, "No, Penguin. What if Doflamingo picked it up instead of the captain? We shouldn't let either of them know what we are doing." Shachi turned, as he moved his glasses slightly to look at Penguin more closely, his expression one of concern, "Are you sure that you are all right? I would have thought that would have been obvious." Shachi saw Penguin's expression go blank, and wondering if he had offended his friend, hastily added, "I'm not meaning to imply that your injuries have impaired your judgment. You were just hoping that the captain would have kept it hidden from Doflamingo, if he happened to have it with him?"

Still expressionless, Penguin nodded as he reached out and took the piece of paper back from Shachi. It was a bit of a sharper movement that caused his fellow crewmate to flinch. Penguin cleared his throat, before he spoke in a barely there whisper, "…sorry…"

Shachi knew that Penguin meant it, "It's fine. All of us are on edge. It's hard when we don't really know what we are going to do. And we don't have much information to go on other than that the captain is with Doflamingo."

Penguin was about to write something when a momentary hush fell over them before one of their crewmates raised their voice as they caught sight of the other two, "Penguin! Shachi! We just talked to Straw Hat's crew on the transponder snail! They just ran into Doflamingo!"

"Did they see Law?" Shachi asked, and figured that that answered the question of why the rest of the crew had been chattering with one another when he and Penguin had come up on deck.

One of the crew nearest to Shachi spoke, "Yes, and they said that Law had told them to run and meet up at the place we had discussed from before."

"Anything else?" Shachi asked after an exchanged glance with Penguin.

"...only that they told us that we shouldn't go after them unless there are more of us. A woman, Nami, said that Doflamingo looked furious when they got away."

"We have Law's vivre card. We could check things out and see if it is possible to get the captain alone, away from Doflamingo." Shachi held up the piece of paper.

Bepo came over, and looked at the vivre card and the direction it was trying to go in, before checking the log pose. "I think the card is pointing in the direction of that island." Bepo lifted a paw and pointed to a speck of land in the distance.

There was a brief moment of quiet before a few of the Heart Pirates started to laugh. Shachi was confused until they explained themselves.

"We've...we've been trying to figure out how to find the captain..." One of the crew said, before they shook their head, unable to continue.

Another crewmate added, "...and you had that vivre card the whole time?"

More laughter ran throughout the crew, followed by good natured heckling at something so obvious being overlooked, before an unanimous decision was made.

Shachi didn't even have to ask who wanted to go on the island as they sailed in the direction of the vivre card. He had known that nearly all of them wanted to go, save for those they would leave to guard their ship. After all, Law was their captain, and all of them should have a chance to help him, no matter if the dark haired man had wanted them to stay away.

-x-

Penguin was worried.

Even after they had anchored and piled out onto the island, none of them had had any good idea of what to do other than to keep quiet and try and scope things out.

"This is a bad idea..." Shachi murmured. "We don't have a plan."

Not that they hadn't tried to make one. It was just difficult to do so when the biggest problem was Doflamingo. And being unsure just how watchful Doflamingo was going to be of Law. Penguin scribbled on a piece of paper and held it up for Shachi to read. **'We need to be extra careful. Who knows how Doflamingo will react if we have the misfortune of coming across him without being able to asses the situation first.'**

Shachi nodded and muttered in return, "It would probably be best to avoid the whole crew, just in case."

Penguin was about to suggest sending half the crew back if their intention was stealth, when it fled his mind as he saw his crewmate's face become of picture of shock, quickly followed by dread. Penguin turned his head to see what had caught his friend's attention, and froze mid step. However, instead of becoming shocked himself, Penguin found himself to feel extremely bitter. It was as though he had almost expected for Doflamingo to appear out of nowhere. But the sight of the grinning pirate was at the back of his mind as he realized that they were currently only a five minute walk away from their ship.

And the look on Law's face, when Penguin spotted him next to Doflamingo, made a wave of guilt go crashing over the Heart Pirate crewmate. He could see the tortured expression on Law's face, as if he couldn't believe that his crew was actually there, as it was obvious from Doflamingo's grin that the older man _had_ expected to find them.

And it was too late to do anything about it.

-x-

Doflamingo chuckled darkly at the sight of Law's crew. The older pirate's hand was held out to the side to prevent Law from making a move as he spoke mildly, "I told you that your crew would not stop following after you. They are too loyal, don't you think? It will be quite tiresome if they continue to insist on chasing you. They'll lead the marines right to us."

"Won't…stop…" Penguin managed to say, raspy and with obvious difficulty.

The rest of the crew made murmurs of agreement, despite their discomfort at the sight of the tall pirate. Doflamingo laughed as he turned his head to study Law's crew and in particular, Penguin. Perhaps he would follow through on his threat to ship Penguin off to the very people he had escaped from. It would be fitting, but right now, Doflamingo was pressed for time after Diamante had informed him that a navy ship had been spotted. So he had to make this little exchange take place as quickly as possible. Doflamingo laughed softly, "Very persistent. How unfortunate. I suppose that they'll have to go after all, Law."

The dark haired pirate glanced up at Doflamingo, his voice was low and cautious. "You said that you wouldn't harm them. That none of your crew would touch them. You said that earlier." Despite the steadiness of his voice, Law was clearly worse for the wear, and looked as if he had not had any sleep in the last day. And at the sight of the bandages wrapped around his forearms and likely beneath his pants around his thighs, Law had clearly been injured since the last time Penguin had set eyes on his captain.

Doflamingo grinned down at Law a he considered the dark haired man's words. Law had no idea what was coming, and that made what he was about to do all the more painful for Law, "That still holds true." The older pirate's smile grew menacing as he delivered the blow, "But I never said anything about _you_ dealing with your own crew at the time."

Silence followed that announcement, before Law broke it, his expression stunned. His voice, however, held a hint of dread as the reality of what was about to happen struck him hard, "You tricked me…"

Doflamingo merely let out a laugh at that, and angled his fingers that held Law in the grasp of his Devil Fruit power. "I suppose that I will have you take care of them now." If the other pirate didn't think that he might do this, then Law really didn't remember just how far Doflamingo was willing to go to make a point. And Doflamingo had a very pointed one to make to Law, and hoped that it would be effective in dissuading him of future rebellion on his ship as he looked for a good place to lie low from the marines. Doflamingo's grin was sharp as he forced Law's body into motion against his will, as he gave no time for the other man to even form a protest. Though Law most certainly did start to try and fight back as Doflamingo made him to draw his borrowed blade. Doflamingo merely smiled as the expected protests began while he urged Law along like a puppet, the older pirate's voice deadly as he hissed his next words to accentuate what he was about to make Law do.

"There is nowhere for you to go back to if your crew is dead. Isn't that right, Law?"


	11. Chapter 11

The mere suggestion that he would have nowhere to go if his crew were dead made Law do everything that was in his power to prevent that from happening. Even if he was at a terrible disadvantage right now. The dark haired pirate wasn't going to let Doflamingo's ominous words become at all true. If the older man himself weren't going to attack his crew, and was using Law to do it instead, then the Heart Pirate captain wanted to free himself from Doflamingo's Devil Fruit powers if at all possible. Law knew that if he allowed Doflamingo to retain control over his body with the string then there would be no way for Law to avoid not harming his crew.

Law struggled to regain control over one of his hands at the very least, but knew, from the curl to Doflamingo's lips, that the older man had expected some sort of resistance like this. The dark haired pirate ignored Doflamingo for the moment as he focused on his left hand, and stretched his fingers out shakily. "Room." Law was relieved that his own Devil Fruit powers worked no problem, but before he could swap places with something nearby, Doflamingo broke his concentration with an abrupt strike.

"Bullet String."

The dark haired Heart Pirate hissed in pain as the attack grazed his shoulder, and that graze drew out several angry cries from the gathered Heart Pirates. Law heard Doflamingo laugh, before he tried again, regardless of another attack that the other man would no doubt send his way. "Room." Again, as before, Doflamingo interrupted Law's attempts to get free of his Devil Fruit powers.

"Bullet String." Doflamingo said in a bored tone with a finger raised in Law's direction, and watched as the dark haired pirate stumbled backward from the hit. Ignoring the Heart Pirate crew's angry reactions, Doflamingo spoke condescendingly to Law, "Do you really think that I'm going to let you get away that easily? Don't bother with your powers. You're already worn out enough as it is. You don't have the energy to do anything useful at this point in time. It's useless to resist." The older pirate flicked a finger at Law again, and the string nicked the Heart Pirate's left hand. Doflamingo had spotted Law trying to call on his powers again. "Don't try my patience. I have little left for you as it is."

Law strained against Doflamingo's hold over him, but was unable to fight off the power, and felt dread when he reached over with his right hand to begin to draw his borrowed katana. "Stop." Law had told himself that he would never plead with Doflamingo, but for this? Law was willing to set aside his pride for a brief moment if it meant saving his crewmates from what the older pirate had in mind. Law had known, before he and Doflamingo had even stepped foot on this island, that something terrible was going to happen to his crewmates if they showed up. Law knew that if he couldn't control his body or even use his own Devil Fruit powers to get out of range briefly, that he would have to try something else. Even if it was likely a useless gesture. Even if it was only to try and distract Doflamingo for a moment, to give his crew time to make the right decision to get the hell away. Law would not put it past Doflamingo to prevent them from doing so. Law again tried to stop what was about to happen, and he hated the way his voice sounded as he felt himself draw the blade from its sheathe entirely, "Stop it."

When it was clear that Doflamingo had no intention of stopping what was no doubt great entertainment for him, the dark haired pirate gave up that particular avenue. Especially after Doflamingo merely laughed at his attempts to dissuade him. Law knew that he should have known better than to think that Doflamingo would really listen to him. No, the older pirate was likely getting some sort of a sick satisfaction out of this. Law turned his attention back to his crewmates, and decided to appeal to them. He knew that they would listen to whatever he had to say, as loathe as Law was to admit their loyalty. Not because he didn't appreciate it. It was mainly because Law hoped that that loyalty wasn't going to get them all killed, since they followed after him blindly without any thought given to the potential danger of doing so. Law really didn't want to lose anyone else, and there was a danger of that now, especially if Doflamingo went back on his word and attacked them as well. Law bit his lip as he felt himself take a step, and spoke through gritted teeth. "Stay back! I can't control my body!" Law took another step. "Run!"

It appeared that some of the Heart Pirate's had already figured that out, and some had even had even worked up enough of their courage to glare at Doflamingo for manipulating their captain in such a manner. But none of them took Law's advice to run away.

Law was honestly taken aback at their actions, and wondered inwardly what would happen if they didn't get the hell away from him already. Why were they still just standing there? Why weren't they running away? A crew was supposed to listen to their captain's decisions, so why were they not doing so now? It just figured that Doflamingo would pull a stunt like this, and Law hated that he hadn't foreseen such a thing happening. Especially with the careless way he had given away the vivre card's existence back on Doflamingo's ship. Law thought that his crew would heed his advice, but that hope drained away as he noted that, despite the mixed feeling of fear amongst his crew, there was also anger, and all of the Heart Pirates present stood their ground. Law wasn't sure what to make of the sea stone shackles that one of them held, or where they could have even gotten them in the first place. Law hadn't been aware that there had been any on the ship. He was inclined to laugh because it was either for himself or Doflamingo, and it probably didn't matter to the older pirate if Law happened to be shackled. Doflamingo would probably still try and control his body with that Devil Fruit of his, even if it meant wearing Law out even more from the draining effect of the sea stone.

Law felt his arm lift slightly as his hand got a better grip around the hilt of the blade he held. Then again, Law thought, as he redoubled his efforts to regain some semblance of control, being incapacitated by the shackles might make him slower and less likely to actually harm any of his crew.

Doflamingo was apparently less than amused by the sight of the shackles. Law could still see the older pirate from where he stood, and had seen the veins on Doflamingo's forehead crease, before he let out a snigger at the sight.

"I really do not want this to take all day. I have other plans than to play with a bunch of dead men today." At that, Doflamingo let fly a stream of string into the air with his free hand, and it came down to the ground to form a small cage around everyone present, blocking any hope of escape for Law's crewmates.

Law stared, before he frantically began to fight against the control Doflamingo had over him with more desperation that before. Doflamingo using that particular move seemed like overkill. Law doubted that any of his crewmates had actually been about to run as he had urged them to do. But then again, it showed Law that Doflamingo was serious about not allowing Penguin and the others to leave the island alive to pursue them.

Doflamingo made a motion with the same hand he'd just used to make the cage, and halted all of the Heart Pirates with some string to hold them in place. Satisfied when none of Law's crew could move from where they were, Doflamingo flicked a finger in Law's direction. "Get moving."

Law knew that it was useless to try and stop Doflamingo from what he was doing. The older pirate had already proved that by sending light attacks his way to break his concentration. And as much as Law hated to admit it, Doflamingo was right in the observation that even if he could get a room up, he would not be able to retain it for long with how exhausted he already was. Instead of trying to call on his own Devil Fruit powers again, Law focused his entire being into fighting back against Doflamingo's hold over him. He needed to try and resist harming his crewmates critically, even if Doflamingo was no doubt going to try and make sure that he did just that. Law doubted that Doflamingo would waste time going back to have him repeatedly strike someone, so if Law could make it look like they had suffered a grievous blow, then Doflamingo was likely to move things along faster.

The dark haired pirate did not want to think about what was happening, but he had to, in order to make sure that things didn't turn out as bad as he thought they might. By the time Law reached one of his crewmates, his entire body shook from the effort of the attempt to resist the insidious string that controlled his body's movement. Law knew that if he tried to call on his powers, Doflamingo would merely inflict some superficial harm to break his concentration, as he had before. In other words, when Law had tried to start a fight the previous day, Doflamingo had taken great delight in wearing him out until the point Law was too exhausted to try and use his power again. Doflamingo had proven a point yesterday, and had left Law alone to take care of the superficial wounds that had been inflicted.

Law knew he had enough stamina right now to use his Devil Fruit, but decided that it was a waste of time, based on Doflamingo's actions. The dark haired pirate had hated that Doflamingo had assumed he wouldn't try to run the night before, but at the time, Law had been too worn out to even think about it. Law certainly hadn't been able to sleep, despite that exhaustion, before Doflamingo came and had him go onto the island they were now on in the early morning. To wait and see if Law's crew showed up.

Doflamingo brought Law's attention back to the present when he felt the other man force his sword arm up. Law couldn't decide whether to squeeze his eyes shut to the sight or give the crewmate a desperate look of apology for what he was being forced to do. He couldn't stop it, and the powerlessness of it all made Law hate himself for letting it get to this point, and loathe Doflamingo more for not just leaving things alone.

-x-

Doflamingo grinned lazily as he forced Law to cut down one of his crewmates, though the blond haired pirate was disappointed that it had been a non-fatal injury, from the look of it. Pity. Doflamingo had thought that it would have been enough to kill them. It certainly would have been a good shock for Law.

Perhaps the next one.

That would certainly get Law off his high horse, and see that it really was no use resisting the way things had turned out in the end. No matter the reasons for the interruption in their fight in Dressrosa, even Law had to know what the outcome would have been had the duel been carried through to a conclusion. Law was good, but he was no match for Doflamingo. And if Law had been a better captain, he would have been able to prevent his crewmates from coming after him at all. Doflamingo would never have made that mistake. If he didn't want someone to follow after him, he would have made sure that no one would.

Doflamingo sneered as he twitched his hand to make Law head toward another Heart Pirate crew mate that was immobilized. Really, if Law had explained things better, then they would have known to get rid of the vivre card that had linked them to their captain, and they would have been able to still follow. After all, the card Law had had was for one of his crewmates, and not himself. One of the pirates had to still have Law's vivre card. If Law hadn't given away the vivre card, Doflamingo might not have known that the dark haired pirate's crew was trailing them. So if the Heart Pirates had planned things better, maybe they would have been even able to attempt a rescue on some island that Doflamingo chose to stop on. But no, they had not done any of that. They had just blindly raced after their captain, regardless of any potential consequences.

Fools.

Doflamingo despised these low life pirates that thought they could outwit him and steal Law back just like that. Doflamingo had waited patiently to get Law back into his own crew, and if re-teaching the brat some things turned out to be useless...

Another cry of pain rang out from another felled Heart Pirate, and Doflamingo idly turned Law to go toward the next one before he continued his musings.

If Law turned out to be too difficult or didn't go back to the way he had been when he'd first requested to join his crew...it would be too bad. And though it would be a shame, Doflamingo figured that he would have to kill Law at that point, if things really didn't work out how he hoped they would.

Doflamingo supposed he'd see just have to see how much Corazon had affected Law all those years ago, once he got the dark haired pirate's crew out of the picture. The older pirate grinned to himself as his eyes fell on one of the Heart Pirates in particular, and began to walk toward him. Doflamingo had a point to make, and what better way than to use the one in Law's crew that was causing him the most grief?

Doflamingo was grimly amused that the pirate he was headed toward appeared to have figured out his intentions. The fact that Penguin had tensed up before he started to try and fight free of the string that held him in place was almost laughable to Doflamingo. So much so that he released the string that held Penguin. Doflamingo laughed darkly, "Fufufufu. Well, were you going to attack me?" Doflamingo halted Law where he stood, and, satisfied that the dark haired pirate wasn't going anywhere, turned his attention to Penguin.

The older pirate laughed once more as he tilted his head to the side to avoid a kick that Penguin had sent his way, and returned the favor with one long limb of his own, only to have the Heart Pirate narrowly duck beneath the wide sweep of his leg.

"The captain...will never listen to you." Penguin managed to rasp out, as he dodged another kick. The follow-up Bullet String narrowly missed the Heart Pirate's side.

"That remains to be seen." Doflamingo said lightly, before he decided that he needn't bother talking with a dead man. Doflamingo reached up a hand and caught Penguin's arm as the other man went by, and twisted it, causing the Heart Pirate to let out a strangled gasp. Doflamingo considered doing more damage, but decided that Penguin wasn't going to put up much of a fight. He wasn't in the best of shape to begin with. Doflamingo carelessly dropped Penguin and lightly rested a foot over his back to prevent him from rising. "I don't have time to waste playing around with you anymore." Doflamingo turned his attention back to Law, and resumed having the dark haired pirate attack his immobilized crew.

Doflamingo rested his foot a little heavier across Penguin's back when the other made as if to rise. When the Heart Pirate took the hint and went limp again, albeit reluctantly, Doflamingo focused his whole attention on Law.

He wasn't going to make this pleasant for the dark haired pirate. Doflamingo was going to draw it out for as long as he could, as he wanted the little bastard to suffer. He'd already had a lot of bad luck in the past and suffered through that, but it seemed like Law was going to need some more of it to put him in his place.

And there was nothing like a loss of control to emphasis that point.

-x-

Law was in hell, as there appeared to be no way out of the situation he now found himself in.

There was was no correct emotion to describe how heart wrenching it was to be puppeted around by Doflamingo and to strike down each of his crewmates who were immobilized and unable to fight back. The only silver lining in this terrible predicament was that Law could tell that not all of his crew was present. In particular, Bepo. Law wasn't sure if he could even look had his furry crewmate been present and he'd had to strike him down as well. Law desperately hoped there would be enough able bodied people to help the wounded.

With each of his crewmates that he struck down, Law was becoming increasingly horrified, yet at the same time, an incredibly sad feeling washed over him as he realized that none of his crew appeared to be upset with him. And each time, Law somehow managed to prevent fatal wounds with his borrowed blade, but it was difficult, so difficult, due to the lack of control.

When Law reached Shachi, the dark haired pirate couldn't hold back anymore. His emotions finally got the better of him, as he choked back on what would have been some form of protest, and likely tears. He knew that Doflamingo had intended this to torment him and break him, but Law refused to actually cry, as he didn't want the other man to see how emotionally destroying this was to him. It was bad enough to see people dying around him, but to cause injury to people that trusted him...Law shook, fighting against his own grip that he had on the blade. Law wasn't going to give Doflamingo the satisfaction of seeing how badly this was affecting him. Law locked eyes with Shachi, and in a barely there murmur, breathed something along the lines of, "I'm sorry…" Law fought against the raising of the blade despite the uselessness of the gesture, even as his crewmate responded.

Shachi's jaw was set, but his voice was soft as he watched Law struggle, "This isn't your fault."

Law fought back a startled laugh. But it _was_ his fault, because he had not made sure that his crew wouldn't follow after him. Law hadn't told them just how bad an idea it was to go after Doflamingo. Why it had been Law's intention for Kaido to take on Doflamingo, instead of what had ended up happening on Dressrosa.

The blade fell, and this time, Law couldn't look, and winced as he heard Shachi collapse to the ground with a shallow slash. At least, Law dearly hoped it was shallow.

"Over here." Doflamingo commented lightly, twitching his fingers to get Law to turn around and walk toward him. While Law had been attacking his crew, Doflamingo had gone over to Penguin, and had hoisted him off the ground with a hand wrapped around his throat. Doflamingo indicated Penguin with a jerk of his head. "This one is trouble. I assume that he is the one who encouraged the rest of your crew to come after you." Doflamingo bared his teeth is a terrible smile, "I can't overlook that, so I believe I'll have you end him now, before he becomes more of a nuisance in the future."

-x-

Penguin's expression was clear, as he had lost his hat some time ago. But the Heart Pirate did not glare at Doflamingo, who had a hand wrapped painfully around his throat and neck. Instead, Penguin glanced out of the corner of his eye to see his captain shakily move closer and closer. Penguin's throat still hurt that he couldn't say much of anything, but he blinked calmly at Law, and offered at thin smile of reassurance, before he closed his eyes.

Penguin was not going to give Doflamingo the pleasure of seeing how conflicted he was. Penguin heard Law make a sound of protest, before the Heart Pirate crewmate felt a searing pain as he was slashed from the middle of his chest to his left hip, before the blade pierced his left shoulder. The agony of it all surged through his body, but Penguin refused to make a sound. Penguin shook as he felt the blade being removed, at the same time the pressure on his throat vanished. It took Penguin only a second to realize that Doflamingo had let go of him before another wave of pain crashed through the Heart Pirate as he collapsed to the ground. The agony was nothing, for now, as Penguin fell face down. His mind was on other things. Like what this had to be doing to Law. Before Penguin could do anything, not that he would have been able to move well in this state anyway, another burning slash of pain flared up across his back from shoulder to hip, indicating that Law had been forced to strike him again. Penguin knew, because he heard the choked sound of disbelief escape his captain, as if Law had not expected Doflamingo to make him attack him again.

Penguin lay still where he had fallen, gasping for air as he made the attempt to steel himself from the agony that coursed throughout his entire body. Through half open eyes, Penguin saw Doflamingo flick a hand at Law to keep the dark haired pirate in place, before the older man approached him. Penguin felt Doflamingo grip him firmly by the hair, and tug him up to his knees. Penguin grimaced, but couldn't do much more than make a faint sound of discomfort, as there was literally nothing he could do to stop whatever Doflamingo chose to do to him. And through the pain, Penguin managed a glare of defiance, because he knew that Doflamingo was only doing what he was right now to torment Law some more, by forcing him to watch.

Doflamingo leaned in close to whisper a warning, "If you happen to survive, you would do well to stay clear of Law. I will hold my word that I won't kill you and your other crewmates, if that means that Law will be compliant." Doflamingo's voice grew dark, "If you chose to come after him again, however, I will kill whatever is left of your crew, no matter how much Law protests." Doflamingo carelessly let Penguin fall backward, before using the hand that released him to send out one last attack. "Bullet string."

Penguin let out a small cry of pain that time, as he hadn't expected more abuse while he was already down. Even though he should have expected it. Doflamingo certainly seemed sadistic enough to enjoy harming someone who was already past the point of putting up resistance of any kind. Penguin felt the ground beneath him as he collapsed back onto it, but through the agony that was flaring up, Penguin heard Law calling out to him desperately amidst Doflamingo's laugher. And then there was nothing as Penguin lost consciousness.

Though he perhaps would have preferred to remain awake, instead of being forced to remember more of his past in a feverish dream.

-x-

_It had been a stupid idea. One that Penguin blamed on lack of preparation._

_Ever since the people he had considered friends had died, Penguin had started to care less and less whether or not he survived in the hellhole he had been condemned to, along with his fellow workers. There was hardly ever any time to rest, and when they were able to rest, it seemed to be done far too soon as they were roused to get back to work._

_Penguin knew that he had seen some never rise, despite the whips that fell across their backs to 'encourage' them to not stop._

_Penguin lie on the ground, curled up, as those same whips fell on him. It didn't seem to end, as if his overseers were taking great delight in flogging him after the failed escape attempt._

_The first time had been botched before it began._

_The second had been a failure when a fellow worker had ratted him out._

_The third was spoiled due to bad weather._

_The fourth Penguin had twisted his ankle before he had been found and dragged back._

_After that…after that, Penguin had lost track of how many times he'd tried to run. There only seemed to be one thing that was certain._

_That escape was impossible no matter how hard he tried_.

_The flogging finally ended, and Penguin was forced to work, the obvious threat of the whip within his sight at all time as the guards kept a close eye on him._

_Penguin's back hurt, but he stolidly forced himself into movement, refusing to let any of them see how much pain he was in. He could even feel the blood that had soaked through the tears in his clothing, and had fully expected it, from the harsh lashing. But it did not deter Penguin in the least from trying to find escape._

_Three months later, and Penguin again despaired. It had been his last escape attempt, and the beating he'd received had been so harsh that he had blacked out from the pain._

_Penguin's memory was a blur after that, as he wasn't sure exactly what had happened. What Penguin did know was that he had awoken in a blind panic, thinking that he was still being beaten, only to have his halfhearted lashing out with his arms be stopped by unfamiliar person._

_It had been the first time that Penguin had met Law._

_-x-_

Penguin heard voices, and the voices did sound familiar, and one of them in particular was apologizing over and over but as Penguin was still deep in his memories, why the voices were there and what they were doing were unimportant at the moment.

-x-

_Penguin had given the dark haired man a suspicious glare, even if he knew that he was in no shape to be resisting anything. Penguin found his voice after seeing a faint smirk cross the other man's face at his actions, "What's so funny?" Not what Penguin had meant to say, but he couldn't help it._

_The other man laughed softly, "I was just surprised that you're even conscious with your wounds. You certainly gave those guards something to think about. They cleared off as soon as they realized they couldn't take you down."_

_Penguin blinked in confusion at the other man. He felt like shit, so he highly doubted he'd done anything of the sort. How could he have resisted those guards after the beating they had given him had driven him into unconsciousness?_

_The dark haired man appeared perplexed. "You don't remember?"_

_Penguin gave a little shake of his head. He would have thought that he would remember getting up off the ground. Right now, it was agony to even do a little bit of movement, so..._

_The man's face grew dark, "Then I won't tell you what else you did."_

_"What?" Penguin had demanded. And he continued to insist upon not being left in the dark, and the other man finally gave in and told Penguin, vaguely, what had happened._

_"Let me put it this way. When my crew and I sailed by here, and decided to check things out, you are the only one alive. The guards that didn't run and the other slaves are dead."_

_Penguin stared at him, not comprehending._

_"You killed them."_

_Penguin shook his head. He wouldn't have down that to the others. They had wanted to escape as much as he had._

_"I assume you got them mixed up with the guards. I've never seen someone so consumed with that much anger that they couldn't differentiate people."_

_-x-_

Penguin hadn't meant to harm anyone other than the guards that had beaten him. When he really thought about it, he could remember brief flashes of what had happened when he had momentarily blacked out.

They weren't pleasant memories, and Penguin didn't like to think of himself as a monster like that. Attacking anyone and everything.

Penguin heard some panicked voices this time around, though it wasn't the voice that had ben apologizing quietly over and over again like it was a mantra. Penguin dimly felt the sharp pinch of something, before he drifted back off.

-x-

_Penguin couldn't accept the idea that he had harmed people that he had worked alongside in a moment of all consuming rage. Penguin had not protested against Law's suggestion that he get his wounds seen to at the time. Penguin was too hurt and confused to do much else than accept the help that was offered to him. He'd even allowed Law, after he'd introduced himself, to take him aboard his ship to do the treatment, even if Penguin was filled with guilt over something that he could only vaguely recall doing._

_Penguin recalled burying the dead later, once he was feeling slightly better and his wounds were on the mend._

_And after that…_

_He'd eventually accepted Law's invitation to join his crew, even if he didn't think he deserved to be there. There was a stretch of time that Penguin was terrified that he would lose his mind again and injure the people around him that had reached out to him._

_The years went by, and Penguin found, to his surprise, that he was more relaxed than he ever had been, joining in on joke and smiling much more. He even joined some of the crew in ogling woman before someone else in the crew scolded them._

-x-

"Penguin."

He furrowed his brow. Who was that?

"Penguin. Wake up."

Penguin didn't like the distraught tone the other voice held, so he did just that.

He woke up.

But when the pain hit him, Penguin wished he hadn't.

-x-

It was the searing pain that hit Penguin first, followed by the restrictive tube that went down his throat. Next were the voices. Familiar voices. They were all worried, as well as angry. All of them seemed to be talking at once, though it appeared there was more than one conversation being held.

"Hurry. Get some more sutures. The stitches in his abdomen tore again."

"His breathing is too erratic."

"He needs more oxygen."

Penguin felt a cold hand rest over his forehead.

"Penguin? Are you awake?"

Shachi…

Penguin felt the hand that had rested on his forehead drop down to rest on his uninjured right shoulder.

"Penguin?"

The injured Heart Pirate twitched his hand. It seemed like too much of an effort to open his eyes.

Shachi's voice was relieved, yet at the same time concerned, as he spoke to another crewmate. "He is awake. How much painkiller do you have him on right now?"

Someone answered after a brief moment's consideration, "The highest dosage that won't cause any long term side effects when we begin to lower the dosage."

Another person spoke, "His heart rate is too fast."

Penguin felt as Shachi reached over and squeezed his hand gently, "We aren't finished treating your wounds. We're going to have to put you out."

Penguin twitched his hand again. He figured as much from the sound of things.

"We'll see you in a few hours then."

Penguin didn't like the unease in Shachi's voice. He didn't seem to be too badly injured, but then again, that could just be because of the painkillers he was on. But it wasn't like he wasn't going to wake up again.

There was a murmur of voices as sleepiness came over him, and the voices melted into nothing as Penguin dropped back off. Thankfully without the unpleasant dreams of past memories.

-x-

Law had gone past the point of no return. The fury he felt as soon as Doflamingo had stopped using his Devil Fruit powers to control his body seemed to make everything clearer than it had been before. The dark haired pirate had waited until his wounded crew was out of sight, before he made the decision to make it hard for Doflamingo to get him to go along quietly. As they headed back in the direction of the older pirate's ship, Law began to fight every inch of the way there.

It started out small, as Law had enough left in him to realize that antagonizing Doflamingo too much might make him turn around and finish off the Heart Pirates as they made their retreat back to the submarine. Comments and insults only appeared to go over Doflamingo's head, as the taller of the two all but ignored Law's words.

So the dark haired pirate did something that Doflamingo would take notice to.

Law stopped walking altogether.

Doflamingo paused mid-step, though he did not bother to turn in the dark haired pirate's direction as he spoke. "We're not back to my ship yet, Law. What are you doing?"

Law wanted nothing more than to use his powers to take him close to Doflamingo to stab him, but the older pirate had had the forethought to take his borrowed blade and tuck it in the back of his belt, where it was covered by the feathery pink coat. Not that Law couldn't get the katana back, but the dark haired pirate knew that Doflamingo would more than likely use that as an excuse to go back and finish what he had made Law start. Law did not respond. Instead, he trailed over to the nearest tree and sat down. The look he received over the other man's shoulder nearly made him get back up, but Law fought the urge and waited, pointedly avoiding eye contact.

After a brief moment of sizing Law up, Doflamingo turned around. It looked as if he very much wanted to lash out at Law, as his hand twitched at his side. Instead, the blond haired pirate started the grin, though it wasn't at all friendly, "And what are you doing now? I told you earlier that I had things to do today."

Law returned the grin with a tired curl of his lips. "I can't go much further. I'm too exhausted."

Doflamingo stared at the dark haired pirate, before he laughed, "Fufufufu. Really, Law, what is the point of this? Even if you delay things, that doesn't matter. If your crew survives and manages to drag themselves back to their ship, wouldn't it be better to leave? I have half a mind to shoot cannons on this island..."

"And you said you wouldn't attack them, and using cannons would still be you and your crew's doing." Law commented in a deadpan tone. He saw a vein pop across Doflamingo's forehead, and supposed that he probably shouldn't say anything more than that.

Doflamingo's grin deepened, before he seemed to calm himself. He casually took the few steps that were separating himself and Law, and towered over the dark haired pirate. "If I have to make you go back, I think I will rescind on what I said about not harming your crew myself."

"You said you wouldn't harm them." Law said in return, even though he knew that Doflamingo was goading him. "That does not mean using me to injure them instead." Law was frustrated that Doflamingo appeared to have chosen to ignore him at that, as he merely stayed standing near him. At least until the other man's hand shot out and hoisted him by the back of his coat, and shoved him harshly along the grassy path. Law stumbled to regain his balance without toppling over onto the ground, and realized that with every shove Doflamingo gave to him to move him along, that they were now closer to the shore, and Doflamingo's ship.

Law had no interest in getting back on it. He hadn't even realized he'd come to a complete halt again until he felt Doflamingo's hand grip him by the back of his shirt once more and held fast, to prevent him from going back the way they had come. The dark haired pirate tried to pull free of the grasp. "Let go!" A harsh shake made Law abandon calling on his Devil Fruit powers in order to remain upright. Law figured that if he ended up on the ground, he was only going to receive a beating, and he needed the time to regain his stamina.

As they neared the shore, Law saw Doflamingo make a sharp gesture at Diamante with his free hand, who was on the ship's deck watching their approach. Law was perplexed to see the other man retreat after making a gesture in return. Law had only a moment to think about what that meant, when he felt Doflamingo's grasp tighten, before there was the sudden sensation of being roughly hefted upward.

And then Law was sailing through the air, and had no time to use his powers as he came down to land painfully on the ship's deck, his breath driven from his body. Had Doflamingo just thrown him? He had to have, and with a lot more force than Law thought possible. The ship was fairly tall. Maybe Doflamingo was angrier than he thought. Before Law had the chance to get his breath back, he noticed Doflamingo out of the corner of his eyes. The older pirate had just jumped up onto the deck as well, and had landed lightly next to him. Law noted something else, when the other man looked down at him after a moment of gazing around at the rest of the deck.

Doflamingo wasn't smiling anymore. "You're close to making me lose my patience."

Law's hand had subconsciously wrapped around the hilt of the borrowed katana. He didn't remember using his powers to retrieve it, but he had to have. Maybe that was why Doflamingo looked rather cross. But then again, it didn't matter to Law how he'd gotten the weapon back, because it also appeared that right now, Doflamingo wished to beat him to within an inch of his life. Therefore, the dark haired pirate felt justified in what he was about to do.

The dark haired pirate's grip tightened around the hilt further. "I don't think I have done nearly enough for that to happen. Although, you don't have that much patience to begin with, so maybe it is." Law surged to his feet after he rolled over and stumbled back several paces from Doflamingo, and lifted his hand up. Law really shouldn't have smiled at the sight of the veins that popped across Doflamingo's forehead, because it let the dark haired pirate know that he had pissed off the other man even more than he already had been. If he was going to get his ass kicked, Law wasn't going to just let it happen. Even if he didn't last for long in a fight, Law was going to make damn sure that Doflamingo knew that he wasn't going to be anyone's pawn willingly.

"Room."


	12. Chapter 12

Doflamingo was not in the least bit surprised that Law had taken the opportunity to launch an attack. The older pirate had all but been expecting it. Maybe even sooner than the dark haired Heart Pirate had chosen to do now. Like back on the island. Doflamingo leaned to one side as a slash from Law's borrowed katana went by his head. Doflamingo grinned. At least this was more of a response he expected than Law sitting on the damn ground and refusing to go anywhere. That had been unexpected, and had Doflamingo been in a better mood, he would have laughed at Law's actions rather than become angered by them. Which was why it had been so satisfying to launch the damn brat into the air and watch as he hit the deck of his ship heavily, from the sound of it.

The older pirate again side stepped an attack, and with a bored look, gave Law's room a once over. The thin sphere was quite a lot bigger than Doflamingo would have expected from someone as exhausted as Law was. Perhaps he had been keeping some energy in reserve to launch said attack he was currently doing now. Doflamingo turned and brought forth some string between himself and Law to bring the other's blade to a halt. Doflamingo held his ground, and grinned more widely at the serious expression on Law's face. "Fufufufu. I'm wondering, Law, but what are you trying to accomplish right now?"

Law's eyes narrowed, but the dark haired pirate merely strained against the string as if to cut through it to get to the taller man before him.

Doflamingo sniggered at the sight. It appeared as though as if Law were not in the mood to talk. That was perfectly fine with Doflamingo. He wasn't exactly in the mood either to talk with the aggravating little prick. Doflamingo could do that after he'd gotten him back under control. Little bastard certainly seemed a lot more confident now that it was only the two of them.

Doflamingo hated that this was taking longer than he thought, so he slashed his free hand through the air at Law with a five color string attack, just to get Law to back off. It was really inconvenient for him to be so close, and Doflamingo didn't want this to last all day and into the night. Doflamingo watched Law swap positions with a nearby barrel on the deck, reorienting himself to get another attack in. Doflamingo was not going to let him do so. "Bullet String." Doflamingo laughed at the sight of Law scrambling to one side to avoid the strike, and watched as the disruption caused Law to lose his concentration and drop his room. The older pirate lurched forward to take advantage of it, but Law, having noticed his error, quickly gasped out 'room' again, and appeared to have some trouble getting it to appear, but appear it did. Doflamingo stopped short as Law vanished from his view, but based on how small the room was from the previous one…

Doflamingo twisted to the right and caught Law's arm as the dark haired pirate tried to stab him from behind. Doflamingo's grin was nearly painful by now as he squeezed the arm trapped within his grasp. The startled yelp from Law was rather pleasing, as was the fact that he'd dropped the blade, where it hit the deck of the ship with a dull clank. Doflamingo straightened and brought Law up to eye level, and pointedly ignored the other's attempt to kick him. "Are you done?"

"Room."

Doflamingo leaned his head again to the side, before he grabbed Law by the back of his jacket and tossed him across the deck, and into some crates that were at the far end of the ship. The room abruptly vanished, and Law remained crumpled in the broken crates, obviously stunned by the attack and unable to move.

Doflamingo languidly crossed the deck, figuring that Law had lost his breath again from the sudden meeting with the empty crates. The older pirate kicked aside some of the broken bits of the crate to get to Law, where he crouched down next to him. And reached out with one hand to grip Law by his hair and twist it to one side so that they could see one another. And with the way Doflamingo held him down, Law wouldn't be able to lift his head.

Doflamingo leaned over, his voice low and dangerous as he hissed near Law's face. "You have tried my patience more than you believe. Repeatedly, at that. And after I so graciously allowed your crew to leave, and for you to briefly treat…Penguin." Doflamingo knew he shouldn't have allowed it, but Law had been so unruly at the time he figured a little leeway wouldn't hurt. Obviously it had been the wrong move, as it seemed to have made Law bolder to test the older blond haired man's patience. Doflamingo let his hand rest more heavily to prevent Law from moving too much. "You don't want me to go back on my word, do you?" Doflamingo let that sink in before he let go of Law and rose.

Law remained crumpled in the broken bits of the crate, but made no attempt to rise. Doflamingo ventured a guess that it was because he was still struggling to regain his breath from the short fight, and the use of his Devil Fruit power that likely didn't help the task.

Doflamingo flexed his hand briefly in thought, before his grin became nasty. Doflamingo lashed out with a hand, using a single string to strike Law across the back with vicious precision. Not missing a beat, Doflamingo let several strings fall down and pin Law to the deck, which drew out a choked cry of surprise from the Heart Pirate. Doflamingo ignored whatever discomfort Law might be in as he turned away. "Do not forget that I am quick to change my mind. I will be back later."

Without a backwards glance, Doflamingo continued on to the cabin to discuss his plans for the day with others in his family. He would deal with Law later when he was finished. A little pain and humiliation should be enough to at least get Law to be more receptive. Doflamingo wasn't sure why he was putting up with Law in the first place, but for what he had in mind, he needed Law to be with him. Whether Doflamingo let him be a part of his crew again, or as an unwilling tag along would be up to Law and his actions, as well as how he decided he wanted things to be, when presented with a choice.

-x-

Law grit his teeth against the pain. He was more concerned about Doflamingo slashing him across the back than the string that currently tethered him to the deck of the ship. They were in no way fatal wounds, but rather wounds meant to cause pain for an extended period of time, and to cause even more agony if Law happened to move in the wrong way that tugged at the strings. Law's thoughts were firmly fixed on the injury across his back right now, however. Most likely over the tattoo that he had painstakingly fixed all those years ago.

Trapped.

The thought entered Law's mind.

He was trapped, and if he did anything to oppose Doflamingo, the man would be quick to change his mind about leaving Law's crew alone. Law's new injuries ached from where the stings pierced his flesh, and Law knew that Doflamingo was going to leave him there for some time, so that he would be unable to prevent any scarring.

Law closed his eyes as he let his head rest on the deck heavily. He sincerely hoped that Penguin would live. He had been forced to hurt his crewmate grievously, and Doflamingo had not given him nearly enough time to give Penguin proper aid. Law had only had time to stop the blood flow, and had hastily give his other crewmates instructions on how to treat their wounds and save Penguin, if there was enough time left. Law could only hope that Penguin didn't stop breathing in the meantime before he could be given proper aid on the ship.

Law saw no way out of the predicament he found himself in unless Doflamingo was dealt with in some way. Most unfortunately, it appeared as though Law was not going to be able to do that on his own. Doflamingo had seen to that, and the pain and new mark across his back was a clear reminder of what would happen should Law dare to try and stand against Doflamingo.

-x-

Two weeks later…

-x-

There was concern among the Heart Pirate crew due to the fact that Penguin had not yet gained consciousness. As such, there was a continuous debate about what to about their shipmate's condition, and what they should do in the meantime.

Bepo was in the infirmary that day with Penguin. The white bear was unhappy with the events that had occurred two weeks previously. Not to mention that he and the rest of the crew were worried about their captain, as well as the crewmate they did have with them.

Penguin.

The sound of the oxygen machine was impossibly loud to Bepo, but he nonetheless kept a watchful eye over Penguin, and the medical equipment that he was hooked up to. There had been several close calls, where Penguin had nearly stopped breathing, or his stitches had not taken. But still Penguin held out, and his wounds were well on the mend. The only thing that would put Penguin completely out of danger would be for him to wake up.

Bepo perked up when he heard Penguin move minutely. "Penguin?" Bepo got up off the chair he'd been on to check his crewmate over, before he was met with a tired gaze. Bepo beamed at him, "You're awake!" Bepo wasn't sure what to do, and he certainly didn't know whether or not Penguin still needed the oxygen mask. Bepo turned and crossed over to the door, and poked his head out, "He's awake!" Bepo stepped back to allow several people, Shachi included, into the infirmary.

Shachi was visibly relieved, "We were worried that you were never going to wake up."

Penguin blinked up at his friend, his eyes slowly gaining some life to them as he woke further. Penguin lay still as he eyed his crewmate, before he looked away.

Shachi waved two of the crew nearest to Penguin in an indication that they should check Penguin's vitals, as well as the state of his wounds. Shachi crouched near the head of the bed and spoke quietly, "We tried to help the captain. Doflamingo just happened to think on step ahead of us all. We're alive, so we can try again later." Shachi offered a small smile. "Since you were unconscious for two weeks, we all decided to meet with Straw Hat Luffy's crew to discuss things. We invited them to come here. Straw Hat and two of his crew were…"

There was a sudden ruckus of raised voices outside of the infirmary, and Shachi's expression became a bit harried, "Luffy is as energetic as he always seems to be." Shachi fell silent as more voices joined the others outside the infirmary.

"Huh? What's this room?"

"Luffy! Don't go wandering around someone else's ship!"

"They did invite us."

"Don't encourage him, Zoro."

Shachi crossed over to the door and opened it, and hastily back stepped as Luffy bounded into the small room.

Luffy spotted Bepo, "Hey! It's the bear!"

Nami entered the small room and swatted Luffy across the back of his head. "Pay attention to what you're doing!"

Zoro settled against the doorframe, his eye settled on Penguin. His expression darkened. "Looks like you ran into Doflamingo." Behind the serious look there was a hint of a smile at the thought of a powerful enemy still around to contend with.

Shachi sat down on a chair next to Penguin's bed, missing the look. "We did, two weeks ago. Doflamingo kept his word to Law, however. He didn't attack us."

Bepo sounded down when he spoke up. "He made the captain do it, I heard."

"What a coward." Nami commented of Doflamingo. "Does that mean that you had to fight your captain?" The orange haired navigator looked surprised when the crew that was gathered fell silent.

"...No, we didn't have to. Doflamingo did something that held us all in place. Then he forced the captain to hurt us." One of the Heart Prates outside the infirmary ventured to say after a brief moment's hesitation.

Luffy had crossed the room to take a peek at Penguin, who stared back at him calmly. Luffy frowned, his head tilting to the side in confusion as he tried to place the injured Heart Pirate. "Who's he?"

"Penguin." Shachi provided, a little baffled by the Straw Hat captain. Wasn't the reason he came here to decided what to do about Doflamingo? Not discuss Penguin's condition.

Luffy's confusion vanished as comprehension dawned. "Oh! That guy that had the hat that said Penguin. He was fighting with you and the bear against the marines." Luffy turned to Shachi with a confused frown. "How come he's more beaten up than the rest of you?"

"Because he was the one who directly confronted Doflamingo. Twice." Shachi exchanged glances with Penguin. "Doflamingo wanted him dead, but Law managed to get him to stop by agreeing to go with him without a fight. And that was after Doflamingo had made Law stab Penguin. The captain didn't have much time to treat Penguin before Doflamingo told him they were going to leave. If he hadn't gone then…Doflamingo threatened to just kill the rest of us, regardless of what he stated before."

Luffy looked down at Penguin silently for a moment, his expression unreadable, before he turned and left the room without a word.

Shachi figured that something was up when Zoro and Nami quietly followed after their captain after trading looks. The red haired Heart Pirate followed after them as he left a few people behind to look after Penguin. Shachi moved more quickly when he heard Luffy declare loudly above deck.

"I'm gonna kick Mingo's ass!"

-x-

Law had lost count of the time that Doflamingo left him tethered with the string in the broken crate two weeks previously, but knew that it was hours, and not days, as it had seemed. Law had since been released from the string, but had been confined to a cabin, though he had not been shackled with sea stone. Law figured it was more because Doflamingo felt there was no need out in the open sea. Law had taken to lying on the single bed in the room to think about possible ways out of this that wouldn't harm his crew, but he had not come up with anything thus far.

With a sigh about being unable to sleep, Law sat up and stretched, before he reached over his shoulder and traced the new scar that went across his back. It had been a shallow cut that Doflamingo had made, but it had been deep enough to scar. It went diagonally across the Jolly Roger tattooed on his back. Law dropped his hand back to his side before he rose and stooped to retrieve his jacket that he had tossed carelessly there for no other reason than to let off some pent up energy that he couldn't level against Doflamingo. Law held still as the door to his cabin opened. And speaking of Doflamingo…

"Already up, are you? It's barely dawn." Footsteps approached as Doflamingo laughed. "Fufufu. Couldn't sleep?"

Law didn't turn around as he finished retrieving his shirt as Doflamingo's shadow fell over him. But still Law did nothing, and said nothing. He did twitch slightly as one of Doflamingo's forefingers traced the scar across his back, before the hand fell away and Doflamingo spoke up again.

"I think it looks better this way."

Law saw the shadow retreat as Doflamingo added.

"We are stopping by an island for supplies. And you are coming along. You've been cooped up in here for too long."

Law heard the door shut, and felt more sullen than before. He supposed that he hadn't been explicitly confined to the cabin, but had chosen to do so because he did not wish to interact with anyone whom he considered an enemy. At the very least, Doflamingo had had someone bring him food, not seeming offended in the least at Law's anti-social behavior.

Law let out a sigh as he pulled on the jacket before he ran his hand over his clothed back over the scar that was beneath. He couldn't help but think that Doflamingo had some larger plan in mind, and here he was ignorant of it. Perhaps some fresh air on an island would help clear his mind.

The thought vanished as soon as he and most of Doflamingo's crew landed on the island and were confronted by one of the locals.

"Welcome to Fiesta Island, where every day is a party!" The man with the flashy outfit ran an expert eye over the lot of pirates before him, before he gave a little nod, as if confirming something. "Pirates huh? Well, we don't mind your type here. Just don't cause any trouble while you're here. We already got some nasty buggers on the other side of the island tryin' to ruin our fun." The brightly colored fellow shuffled off, and there was a brief silence.

Law's eyes were assailed by brightly colored things from people to animals to buildings, and he turned to give Doflamingo a look of deepest loathing. "I hate you."

Doflamingo grinned cheerfully in return, his pink feathered jacket and general attire blending him in with the locals, though he was still feet above everyone in height. "Lighten up, Law. We're just here for supplies."

Law's expression made it clear that he thought otherwise.

Doflamingo gave Law a hearty slap between the shoulder blades. "Come on, I want to get this done. I don't want some bold idiot from this island tipping off the marines."

Law regained his footing, but couldn't do much to escape the bright offense that was the island's theme. Maybe he could steal Doflamingo's ship and ditch the son of a bitch. He seemed to enjoy the sight of the eccentricities of the island, but maybe that was just because it had made Law irked.

The supply gathering did not take as long as Law expected, though the relief of escaping the noisy place was not to be. Because Doflamingo had decided he wanted a drink, and the fact that the rest of his crew agreed made Law grit his teeth as he was hustled along to the biggest in in the city that had a large tavern connected to it.

Law was going to murder Doflamingo in his sleep.

-x-

Kidd was currently in a situation that, while he knew what he wanted to do, he couldn't get away with it without getting backlash from said actions he desperately wanted to take.

"Let the guy live, Kidd." Killer deadpanned from nearby, as he considered the brightly colored noodles in his bowl.

Kidd was in the process of throttling a friendly son of a bitch that wouldn't stop asking Kidd and his crew to try some new drinks. The red haired captain let out an aggravated sigh and let the fool go, who quickly put as much distance between himself and Kidd as was possible. Kidd grumbled something under his breath as he drank a beer of some kind, its bright color giving Kidd only momentary pause as he gulped it down. "You ruin all my fun. Killer."

"Murder is only fun if there aren't witnesses."

Kidd narrowed his eyes at Killer, but was unable to tell if the other man was joking. So, Kidd just drank more of his beer. Eyeing the cheerful people around him suspiciously, Kidd voiced a thought to Killer. "Why the fuck did we come here again?"

"We needed supplies? And sooner rather than later. This was the closest island."

Kidd set the empty mug down and waved the nearest waitress over for another. He was going to need to be slightly smashed in order to survive the brightly attired and happy people all around him.

Just as Kidd got partway through his next beer, he choked some of it down because something had caught his eyes. "No fucking way." The red head breathed, eyes fixed on something across the room. Trafalgar fucking Law was there on the island, in this very building, and the dark haired pirate's expression looked like it could kill someone. Kidd wasn't surprised. This kind of island didn't seem like one the other man would enjoy. Kidd grinned into his mug as he took another drink. How convenient. Kidd in need of a distraction from the offense that was the island he was on.

Kidd didn't need Killer to kick him lightly beneath the table to be reminded that Law happened to be seated next to Doflamingo, and surrounded by what Kidd presumed to be the rest of Doflamingo's crew. All that Kid saw was that Law appeared to be absolutely miserable, even if the dark haired Heart Pirate attempted to hide it behind a mask of indifference, or an insincere little smile.

Killer appeared to have picked up his captains thoughts. "Don't, Kidd. We need to keep focused. We're supposed to meet with Hawkins and Apoo in a few days."

"Don't tell me what to do." Kidd muttered crossly in return, "That guy, Doflamingo, doesn't know, so wouldn't it be amusing to him that someone was interested in Trafalgar?"

Killer gave off the impression of giving his captain a cross look. "Or is it that you just want to have sex with him again?

"How soon can we be ready to sail?"

Killer shook his head as if in disbelief, "Don't get yourself killed, Kidd. Doflamingo obviously wants Law with him. He isn't going to let him out of his sight for a booty call."

"No harm in tryin', right?" Kidd asked with a grin at the words 'booty call', before he settled back against the table and began to stare at Law as he thought about all he could do to the other man. Kidd had to wonder if Law didn't already know he was there, and was merely ignoring him for some reason or another. It was probably a dangerous situation, but Kidd found that he did not particularly care.

Kidd felt like he had when he had first laid eyes on Law after two years, and that included Kidd hating the sight of the dark haired man without that confident smirk.

It was wrong.

Besides, Kidd hated to be ignored, so he would just have to remedy that.

-x-

Doflamingo chuckled suddenly as his elbow nudged Law lightly. "It seems like you've caught someone's attention."

Law didn't bother to look up from the table. All he could do was think about his scarred back, and the ache his body was in from the injuries of the puncture wounds earlier during his 'punishment.' "I highly doubt it." Law winced as he felt string jerk his head up so that he was forced to look at what Doflamingo said, and the Heart Pirate felt his stomach drop as he realized that it was Kidd that was staring at him. And the manner in which he was staring at him, like Kidd wanted to jump Law then and there and fuck him in front of everyone present.

Law hated that the thought turned him on. The sex part, not the audience. He hadn't given much thought to sex these past two weeks. Law saw a chance to escape, as he was sure that Kidd would be more than happy to whisk him away, for some reason, but it was a risk that Law couldn't take. Law was fairly certain that Kidd's crewmate, Killer, would well…kill him, if Law went through with it. Law eyed Kidd and his obvious desire to de-clothe him.

But then again…

"Why don't you go have some fun? Perhaps you will be less hostile if you get laid." Doflamingo chuckled as he amended the statement at the seething glare from Law. "Or you could get into a fight and get some of that aggression out."

Law started to drink, and only spoke once he finished the glass of wine. "Getting laid or starting a fight will only temporarily get rid of that 'aggression' as you put it."

Doflamingo observed Law start in on his second drink, before he plucked the glass from Law's grasp, and cuffed his nearest shoulder lightly, "Go on. Get a room for the night. We'll leave in the morning. I am losing the will to drink with that attitude of yours."

Law reluctantly rose from where he was seated, before he headed along the side wall of the tavern. After speaking briefly to the innkeeper on the opposite side of the tavern, Law paused in the doorway of the exit of the tavern to the inn and glanced over his shoulder at Kidd, who was watching his every move. Law lifted the key into view with a hint of a smirk, before he jerked his head toward the stairs in the other room. After noting that Kidd had risen out of his seat, Law turned away and headed for the stairs.

-x-

"Be careful." Killer warned as he watched his captain rise.

"I know. Just have the crew ready to bolt and get outta here." Kidd muttered back as he headed after Law. Kidd made sure to avoid eye contact with Doflamingo as he passed by his table, though the red head heard a faint rumble of laughter from the larger man. Kidd held back one of his own. Wouldn't Doflamingo be surprised if Law didn't show up later tonight or tomorrow?

It took Kidd a few moments to reach the top of the stairs, before he was taken by surprised as his right arm was seized and he was thrown off balance as he was tugged into a room, and the door slammed shut.

"What do you think you are doing?" Law whispered in a harsh voice. "You are lucky that Doflamingo suspects nothing unusual."

Kidd shook his arm free and crossed them grumpily as he scoffed back in return. "Do you mean that you didn't think that I wasn't going to get you back for drugging me on that island? And then leaving me with one of your injured crewmates while you went off with a psycho like Doflamingo?"

A worried line creased Law's brow. The thought of Penguin made him concerned.

"Want to know what your crewmates said when I dumped the guy off with them?"

Law didn't appear to want to know, but his shoulders slumped. "What did they say?"

Kidd moved in on Law as he backed the Heart Pirate toward the bed in the room until the back of his knees bumped the bed. Kidd's grin remained in place at the sight of Law's uncertain expression. Kidd leaned in close as he wrapped his right arm around Law's waist, and leaned his head forward to breathe against his neck. "They said that I should kidnap you if they couldn't help you, and meet up with them and Straw Hat's crew. Maybe they would even come here."

Law lifted a hand to brace it against Kidd's chest. "No. I am not going to put my crew in any more danger. Or Straw Hat-ya and his crew." Law's hand faltered as Kidd held him closer, his breath tickling the skin of his neck.

"And what about me?"

"If you don't stay away, you will get hurt." Law squirmed in surprise as the metal of Kidd's left hand snuck up beneath his jacket. "And Doflamingo will crush you if you try and 'kidnap' me."

Kidd ignored the threat of the older pirate, and instead began the process of using his right hand to start to inch Law's jacket up. "Unlike you, I would put up a fight and make the son of a bitch work for it. Besides, I told you that I wasn't finished with you and if Doflamingo takes you, I won't be able to do that, right?"

"You're an idiot." Law responded immediately, though he allowed the removal of his jacket and stopped resisting briefly enough to allow for a kiss. Then, Law pressed both his hands up against Kidd's chest.

Kidd let Law go easily enough, though he didn't move to let Law away from the bed.

Law obviously noticed this, and he crossed his arms to mirror the red head's previous position, and glared at Kidd haughtily. "And just how are you going to deal with me?"

Kidd grinned cheerfully. "Between the sheets all night long, if you can keep up."

Law obviously hadn't expected that, or at least, not that bluntly said, and flushed faintly. "I suppose I was to take you staring at me earlier as your intention to fuck me senseless?"

Kidd considered that. "I dunno. But that sounds good to me." The red head gave Law's shoulder a hefty shove, and Law toppled backward with a gasp.

Law landed on the bed on his side, and shoved himself up with both hands to twist slightly to glare at Kidd. "Must you shove? I am tired enough as it is with Doflamingo pushing me around." Law caught Kidd staring at him, and the dark haired pirate huffed impatiently. "What?"

"Your back." Kidd said simply.

Law averted his gaze before he smiled humorously. "Doflamingo did it. He seemed to be amused to mess with the tattoo there again."

Kidd sat down on the bed, and inched closer. "Didn't you fix it the last time it happened?"

"The last time there was less of a line to fix." Law said, as he leaned away.

Kidd closed the distance and flopped over Law's lap on his back, and grinned up at the exasperated Law. "You're a doctor, aren't you? Can't you just use your powers and cut that part off and mess with it?"

Law reached down and flicked Kidd on the nose. "That would mean I would have to cut it myself, and my stamina isn't good enough right now to do such a thing. My room might drop before I was done with it."

Kidd smirked at that. "I guess I'll see just how much stamina you have left."

Law flicked Kidd's forehead this time, only for the red headed pirate to catch his hand and hold it tightly.

"I was thinking if you're worn out enough you'll crash and I can lug your unconscious body to my ship before Doflamingo notices." Kidd commented with a wolfish grin.

Law cracked a smile at that. "I very much doubt he wouldn't notice." The Heart Pirate frowned a little at Kid's pleased expression. "And what is that for?"

"You smiled." Kidd said, absurdly pleased about it.

"And why the hell would you care if I smile or not?"

Kidd gave a little shrug. "I like it better when you have that fucking confident smirk, like you killed a man and don't give a shit that you did."

Law cracked another smile at that. "You're an idiot." The Heart Pirate grunted as Kid rolled to one side and tugged him along, so that Law was lying on top of the red haired captain. Though Law wasn't able to question Kidd further as the other captain had decided it was high time for another kiss.

Kidd grinned into the kiss before he leaned back and ran his hands along Law's bare sides. "That's better. You shouldn't frown so damn much. You should be a sarcastic asshole all the time. Don't fucking brood. It's annoying."

"Hm." Law poked Kidd's nose, just to piss him off. "I think I have more than enough reasons to 'brood' but I guess I can't do that right now."

"No you can't." Kidd said, and proceeded to roll them over so that he was the one that pinned Law to the bed. "Not when I'm gonna play with you." Kidd liked the confident smile that crossed Law's lips just then, and decided that that was far better than the frown that had been there before.

"We'll see about that." And without any more prompting, Law gripped Kidd by his hair and leaned up so that they could engage in a more frantic kiss than before.

Perhaps getting out some pent up energy would be a good thing after all.


	13. Chapter 13

Law's hands threaded through Kidd's hair as the Heart Pirate all but drowned the red haired captain in the frantic kiss that he had initiated. The fact that Kidd had not fought the sudden and likely painful pull on his hair made Law bolder than he had felt in weeks. He knew that Kidd wouldn't do anything he disliked, and if the red haired pirate was going to let him do whatever he pleased, then Law was certainly going to take advantage of the unspoken offer. He'd been lacking in choices as of late, so it was a nice change.

The dark haired Heart Pirate shifted minutely beneath Kidd, pleased to find that the red head had enough forethought to not pin him to the bed and crush him. Not yet, anyway. It was as if Kidd were waiting to see just how he was going to respond before doing anything himself. It made Law wonder if Kidd was going to do something on his own, or if Law would have to coax him into action. Kidd certainly didn't appear to like the fact that Law was so down since the last time they had crossed paths.

Law broke the kiss, and tugged Kidd by his hair again to make him come closer. The red head did so with a slight grumble; likely in response to just how tightly the dark haired surgeon had gripped his hair. Law ignored the grumble, and chose instead to focus on Kidd's neck, which was now within reach. But Kidd didn't try and stop him, so Law decided to keep on going, since Kidd was amendable to being tugged around in a somewhat rough manner. It helped to have some semblance of control, especially since Law had been lacking that for over two weeks as well. Law chose to ignore the fact that Kidd seemed to have realized this, despite the dark haired pirate believing that Kidd shouldn't be as sharp as that.

Law left deliberating Kidd's keen sense of judgment of his situation as he leaned up in order to start to mouth the skin before him, between throat and collarbone. Law scraped his teeth along Kidd's skin lightly. The motion drew a slight shudder from the other pirate and Law smiled faintly as he felt Kidd brace himself on the bed more firmly, and allowed Law to get closer to him. Law took that as a silent insistence to continue what he was currently doing. Law was more than happy to oblige. He had the intention to leave some marks behind, as Kidd had done back in that cave two weeks back.

The dark haired Heart Pirate captain paused in his perusal of Kidd's skin. Two weeks. It seemed much longer than that. Then again, spending any time with Doflamingo made time seem to go by excruciatingly slow. Law eyed Kidd for a moment as he was struck with a moment of doubt. He was letting his guard down far too much by going off to fuck in a room of an inn. Law could be using his time to try and find a way to slip away from Doflamingo and his crew, not playing around like this.

Law smiled humorously. Of course, he had his own crew to think about, and he highly doubted that they would give up so easily on him. And he didn't doubt that Doflamingo would be quite happy to go and crush them if Law tried to sneak off this island in any manner, willing or not. Even now, Law felt as if Doflamingo could have sent someone to keep an eye on him. Or an ear, in any case. Not that anyone would break into the room unless it sounded like he was in trouble. That made Law wonder if someone would perhaps come bursting into the room if he were overly loud when he and Kidd…

Law shook his head. He shouldn't be doing this right now. He needed to do something about his predicament instead. Maybe he could try and assassinate Doflamingo in his sleep. The city still seemed quite merry and loud, so he wouldn't hear him approach. Though Doflamingo would have to drink a lot of alcohol to become inebriated, and he was likely to have a few of the crew keep a lookout if he needed to pass out to sleep off too much alcohol.

"Trafalgar?"

Law all but banished the no doubt suicidal thoughts of assassinating Doflamingo. It was far more likely that the blond haired pirate would crush any such attempts, and would perhaps lash Law to the mast of his ship for a while as punishment.

Most likely during a nasty storm.

Doflamingo was a sadistic enough individual that he'd likely enjoy the show and watch as Law became further miserable the longer the storm lasted…

" _Trafalgar_."

Kidd's voice was insistent, and Law struggled to bring himself to the present. When he did, his mind latched onto the fact that Kidd had sounded concerned just then. Law didn't like what that implied, if he had interpreted Kidd's tone correctly. The dark haired pirate took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn't do this, being as distracted as he was. This was a stupid idea, and he hated that Doflamingo had encouraged it, and Kidd had hopped on the chance to be alone with him without any regard to how dangerous it could be if he set Doflamingo off. Even if Kidd was merely wanting to 'get back' at Law for what had happened in the cavern two weeks previously.

Law had to leave.

He _needed_ to leave. Now. But Law knew that he would have to distract Kidd in some way in order to be able to slink away before the red haired captain would be able to react to his departure. A thought crossed Law's mind, and he allowed himself a small smile. The idea that had come to mind should work. After all, Kidd still rested over him on the bed, and he was within reach for him to get away with it. Law dropped one of his hands from where they were tangled in Kidd's hair, and instead reached down between the two of them to cup Kidd's crotch without much of a warning. "Are you not wearing anything beneath those pants?" Law pressed his hand up firmly as he added idly, "I very much doubt that people around you would fail to realize that particular detail."

Law could tell without confirmation from the red head himself that Kidd wasn't wearing a damn thing beneath those pants. Which was fine, because it let Law be heavy handed in order to rile Kidd up some more, which was surprisingly therapeutic, as absurd as it seemed. "Is that such a good idea? What if you got into a fight? You wouldn't want _this_ in the line of fire." Law squeezed gently as he peeked out of the corner of his eye, and allowed himself a small smile.

Kidd looked like he had hit the jackpot with the way Law palmed him.

Law glanced back down so that he could continue his perusal of Kidd's pants, as he absently swirled his fingers along the outline of the red head's member. Which Law could tell beneath his fingers was getting harder with every touch he made. Law's questing touch made the red haired pirate uttered several nonsensical sounds before Kidd seemed to decide that pressing down even closer to Law seemed like a really good idea right now. Law smirked faintly as Kidd settled closer over him, and pushed his hips down lightly at the dark haired pirate's hand. Law cupped him again firmly and got a moan out of the action that time around as Kidd's breath puffed against the side of his throat. It was almost laughable to see Kidd end up like putty in his hands…hand…like this, which made Law wonder if Kidd had shacked up with anyone since the cavern. The dark haired Heart Pirate discreetly edged to one side as Kidd sagged further down, and let go of Kidd's hair as the other's head dropped to the bed next to his shoulder. It was obviously too much of an effort to keep himself upright.

Law maneuvered to his knees without letting go of Kidd's pants, and he rested against Kidd's back as he gave the red head's crotch a squeeze, which all but made the red head collapse onto the bed the rest of the way. And made several vehement groans, like Law should stop teasing him like he was and stick his hand down his damn pants already. Law marveled that Kidd could convey an idea through meaningless sounds instead of words. and Law wanted to do just that to him, because he liked the idea of making Kidd come just from his touch alone. Because the bastard had seemed to take glee in doing the same to him in the cavern, even if Law had protested a little when he had done so.

As soon as Kidd's eyes slipped shut, Law let go of Kidd's clothed member and shoved backward from the other's back, intent on getting himself off the bed and as far away from the other captain as he could. Before he was distracted himself and had no easy way to make his escape. What Law didn't realize was that Kidd had apparently sensed his desire to leave, and took offense to the fact.

Law grunted as he fell back on the bed, Kidd pressed up against his back and the red head's arms wrapped snugly around his middle. Law twisted slightly to look over his shoulder, and could tell that while Kidd was obviously still in the mood, there was an underlying sign of annoyance in those amber eyes at his actions. Law slowly spread his left hand against the bed. Kidd's annoyance was sure to grow as soon as the dark haired pirate made his next move. Kidd really should have known better than to think that just holding him in a bone crushing grip was going to prevent him from going somewhere if he really wanted to.

Kidd seemed to have sensed that Law was up to something as he wrapped his arms more firmly around Law, as if daring him to try and leave.

Kidd's grasp was almost too tight, but Law didn't have to worry about the pressure for much longer as he offered a small smile and spoke one word. "Room." Law swapped places with a pillow on the bed, but before he could manage to get all the way off the bed and to the door, Kidd was suddenly there again to block Law's way as Kidd shoved him back lightly and trapped him against the headboard of the bed.

"Going somewhere?" Kidd questioned, and while his tone was light, there was an underlying growl that made it clear he didn't want Law to leave.

"Apparently I am not." Law responded, and leaned forward to rest his hands on either of Kidd's shoulders to give him a light shove. It didn't make Kidd budge but for a slight shift, and the red head merely gave Law a look of displeasure. The dark haired pirate gave Kidd another shove as he spoke. "Lay down." Whether Kidd listened or not didn't matter, but Law hoped that the red haired pirate would be intrigued about what Law would do with him on his back.

Kidd did appear to be interested, but he still wore a slightly suspicious look, as if trying to figure out what Law had in mind. He seemed to give up after a few moments, and merely flopped backward onto the bed, where he stared up at Law, as if waiting to see what he was going to do next. And from the expression Kidd wore, he appeared to think that this was some other trick to get him to lower his guard.

Law let out a small sigh, before he decided that he was going to have to do something a bit more drastic in order to make his escape. He knew that the red haired pirate wasn't stupid, and could tell that something was on his mind that was making him want to leave. So it meant that Law would have to do something more than just feel Kidd up through his pants. And with that in mind, Law decided that he would have to ramp it up, and even if he himself were aroused by the mere thought of what he was about to do, Law highly doubted that it wasn't going to draw a reaction.

Whether it was distracting enough to allow Law to make a clean escape would have to wait and be seen.

-x-

Law was acting fucking weird, and Kidd didn't like it one bit, even if Law seemed to bounce back from whatever gloom he had been in moments before.

Kidd had liked it when Law had initiated a kiss, and damn, it had been a good one. A really desperate kiss, like Law had wanted nothing more than to jump Kidd and make out with him until he had trouble breathing. Kidd had no problem with the sudden enthusiasm, but the way that Law had shut down in the middle of what would have been a very hot make out was strange. And Kidd had a nagging suspicion that Doflamingo was on Law's mind, and he would have been jealous if he didn't know that Law loathed the man and would rather murder him in his sleep than do anything...promiscuous.

And speaking of promiscuous, Law certainly seemed to have gotten out of whatever had been holding him back, because he was looking down at Kidd like he was going to do something kinky.

Kidd liked kinky, as he already knew from the cavern two weeks previously, but with the barely there blush across Law's cheeks it must be something even better than what they had done before. Kidd propped himself up on his forearms to better keep an eye on Law, should he tuck tail and attempt to run before he did whatever it was that he had in that mind of his. Kidd stretched his legs out, and grinned faintly as Law's eyes were drawn to a certain part of his anatomy. Instead of being smug about the action, Kidd was still stuck on the idea that Law had appeared to decide that he hadn't been in the mood moments before, and that he ought to leave before he had even done anything.

At least right now Law appeared to have no intention of running, as he suddenly had quite the lusty look in his eyes as he slid across the bed slowly. Kidd braced himself, still unsure what Law had in mind, though the red haired pirate soon wore a massive grin as Law sidled closer and onto him to straddle his waist. Well, that was a little bit different. As Law settled over him, Kidd decided that perhaps that dark haired Heart Pirate was thinking of doing something similar to the first time they had slept together, when Kidd had initially thought that Law was drunk off his ass. The time that Kidd found out that Law had a hell of a lot more stamina in the lithe frame of his than Kidd had initially believed. That had been a hot night, and Kidd was surprised that he had enjoyed it, especially after Law had tricked him into that stupid bet about not making a sound…

Kidd's thoughts screeched to a halt as Law dropped his hands to his own belt and undid it, tossing the belt off to the side carelessly as he held Kidd's gaze. Kidd didn't have any intention of looking away in any case, but he had to look down briefly as he watched Law wiggle out of his pants enough so that he could free his…

Well then, Kidd supposed he was wrong about Law being shy about teasing him. Kidd guessed he should have known better. Law was really arrogant, so of course he was going to have no problem whipping it out in front of him. The fact that Law would tease Kidd in this manner was somewhat unexpected, but Kidd had absolutely no problem with it, so long as Law started to touch him too. Kidd straightened a bit as Law started to run a hand along his dick with a curl to his lip, and Kidd would have taken issue with the smirk if he weren't turned on by the sight.

Kidd automatically reached up with his hands to steady Law by holding onto either side of his hips. It was the least Kidd could do if Law was going to put on a show like this, and holding him like that got him a sly smile as Law stopped bracing one of his hands on Kidd's chest and went to join his other hand. Kidd honestly wasn't sure what to think other than it was quite a sight, and his mind wasn't exactly functioning as he vaguely tried to decide if Law would have done something like this before, or if he were up to something.

A few moments passed, and Kidd decided he didn't give a fuck whether or not Law had something planned. Hell, Kidd couldn't help himself from openly leering as Law's breath began to come out more rapidly the longer he toyed and stroked himself. The soft moans that had started not too long after were a nice touch, but went straight to Kidd's dick and left the red head frustrated as hell that Law had not yet done anything to him. Law had to have known that this little display was sure to arouse him past the point of no return, and the dark haired Heart Pirate should be able to even feel the fucking hard on Kidd now had. Especially as Law continued to get himself so wrapped up in pleasure that he seemed to have forgotten where he was or who he was with. At least until he started to grind down against Kidd lightly as he moaned something and let out little breaths of 'Eustass-ya' at regular intervals. And as fascinating as it was to see Law lose his composure, it was only making Kidd harder and more frustrated.

Kidd held tight to Law's hips when the effort of what he was doing made the dark haired pirate start to shake. Fuck. Law looked so fucking sultry and sexy with his hands doing what they were doing that it was almost unfair. The way Law's chest heaved as he pleasured himself was a good sight, although it appeared that Law was trying to hold himself back from peaking. Kidd realized that he must have said some of that aloud, because Law was now smiling, his eyes half open.

"Sultry? You sure know some interesting words, Eustass-ya." Law's smile became wicked as he reached down with one of his hands to palm Kidd through his pants again. "Or is it because you're hard and aren't being touched?" Law squeezed gently and added. "Wasn't being touched?"

"Tease." Kidd grumbled in return, though his eyes shut as Law's hand slipped beneath the fabric. Fucking _finally_. Kidd had been about to forcefully stuff Law's hand down his pants if he hadn't done it himself just then. Kidd, distracted by the light touches, muttered, "You make me wanna use words like that. You being a damn doctor and all that. I dunno."

"Hm." Law hummed, both his hands moving along at a languid pace as he leaned over. "I wouldn't have pegged you as self-conscious of something like that."

"But you like it?" Kidd asked vaguely, though he was not quite sure where the conversation was going, or what he was even asking. Mainly due to the fact that Law had a hand wrapped around his dick, and seemed quite content to slowly drive him crazy by giving it light caresses. Kidd let out an embarrassing moan not too long after before he lifted his right hand from Law's hip to tangle in his hair instead. "Fucking tease." Kidd repeated, and the feeling increased as Law leaned even further over to nip and suck at the scar along the left side of his throat. Kidd's mind went blank from all of the light touches he was receiving. He didn't want it to end.

But it suddenly did, and the good feeling fled as things clicked into place.

Law's laugh sounded overhead somewhere, and that was when Kidd realized that Law's caresses were suddenly no longer there. Kidd blinked, and realized with a start that he was all alone on the bed, and Law was headed for the door again, as he had been before. Kidd sat up as he tried and failed to ignore the raging erection he now had due to Law's little display and subsequent touch. Was Law really panning to just leave and make Kidd take care of this himself?

Who the fuck did that unless they were a sadistic asshole?

"Good-bye, Eustass-ya."

Kidd gaped at the dismissal he had just received, before the red head's features settled into a scowl as he watched the dark haired pirate's retreating back. Like hell he was going to allow Law to slink off just like that. Kidd hastily waved a hand at the door as Law opened it, and the door slammed shut, just barely missing Law's hand. Kidd allowed himself a smug smile at the glare Law sent him over his shoulder. Good thing the door had some metal in it. That made things easier.

"I am leaving."

"Maybe later." Kidd responded, and wasted no time as he heaved himself off of the bed and at Law, who merely called up another room and warped back onto the bed. Kidd grinned again as he flicked a finger on his right hand, and received a gasp of surprise as scrap metal in the room pinned Law's arms down to the bed. Kidd approached the bed and climbed back onto it to settle over the temporarily tethered Law. Kidd waited until some of the tension left the dark haired pirate before he made his next move.

Kidd settled his artificial left arm on the bed carefully and furrowed his brow as he drew something out of a pocket with his right hand. Law was going to kill him for this, but if the bastard insisted on trying to run before Kidd was done with him, Kidd would be more than happy to play dirty to get what he wanted.

After all, Law had done that with his little show to try and get away.

Kidd was really just returning the favor.

-x-

Law's head tilted back subconsciously as Kidd began to nip along the skin of his neck. The dark haired pirate figured that he should have known that Kidd wouldn't let him leave so easily. Law felt the red head trail his right hand along the side of his head, and to his left ear. Law's eyes had already closed, but he was confused as to why Kidd was toying with his earrings now. Until Law felt an unpleasant sensation as Kidd's hand retreated from his left ear.

Almost immediately Law's hands were on Kidd's chest, and his eyes opened immediately, alight with fury, "Where the hell did you get such a small amount of sea stone?" Law dropped one of his hands from Kidd's chest to gingerly reach up to touch the metal clipped to his left ear, near where the other two piercings were. Law let his hand drop as he glared at Kidd, and wondered what he was up to now. Something devious, surely, from the way the red head was now grinning as he fiddled with that artificial arm of his.

Kidd caught the stare and spoke smugly. "I'm not gonna let you run off until I'm done with you."

Law let out an exasperated breath as Kidd leaned over and started to nuzzle along his throat. With a sigh, Law poked Kidd in the stomach to get his attention. "And what exactly are we going to do now?"

Kidd grinned again as he flipped Law over onto his stomach and pressed up against his back. The red head's arms wrapped around Law's waist as he breathed against the side of the Heart Pirate's throat. "I thought I was gonna screw you into the bed beneath the sheets all night long?"

"Hm, I'm afraid that the sea stone will sap my stamina too much for it to last that long." Law said dryly as he sagged back against Kidd.

The red haired captain snorted at that. "Too fucking bad, huh? That's what you get for drugging me before. Guess you'll just have to let me…"

"Play around with me?" Law questioned tonelessly.

Kidd bit Law's shoulder lightly, which elicited a shiver and moan, and added, "That, and so you won't get as tired. Using your powers wears you out too, right? Let me do the moving then."

Law wriggled impatiently as he managed to get Kidd to let go of him. The dark haired Heart Pirate sat up and slid to the edge of the bed, hand going up to his left ear. Law tried and failed to remove the cuff, and he half turned to narrow his eyes at Kidd, who merely smiled as innocently as he thought he could get away with.

"I put some metal to either side of the sea stone so that I could use my Devil Fruit powers to keep it in place. Without much thought needed." Kidd was obviously surprised to see Law slide off the bed completely, and head for the door without a word.

Law didn't look back, quite upset and furious that Kidd dared to put the wretched stone anywhere near him, with the sole purpose to cut him off from his ability to escape until it was removed from his person. If Kidd thought he would stick around after that, the red head was sorely mistaken. Even if Law ended up back with Doflamingo and his crew right now, the dark haired pirate doubted he'd get any of them to remove the small cuff on his ear. It was far more likely that Doflamingo would laugh at the idea of Law being cut off from his powers, and insist that they move on to the next island.

With the sea stone cuff still on Law's ear, and most of Doflamingo's crew laughing behind his back that he'd allowed such a thing to happen to him.

Law curled his lip. Maybe he could use the damn stone to his advantage in some way. If he could figure out how he could do that.

As Law entertained the idea, the Heart Pirate captain did not look back. If he had, Law would have known for certain that Kidd was not done with him yet.

-x-

Kidd hesitated for a moment, before he followed after Law. The red haired captain didn't say anything, because Kidd knew full well that Law was angry about the sea stone. Too bad for the dark haired pirate that Kidd didn't particularly give a shit about how Law felt about the stone right now, because this was the third time in less than five minutes that the dark haired pirate had tried to leave the room. And Kidd had had enough of Law delaying things, when it was obvious from before that he wanted a good fuck or two that evening. Kidd obviously needed to loosen him up somehow, and an idea crossed his mind as he got closer to Law and the door.

The red head started to grin wolfishly as he closed the distance between himself and Law. It was a good idea, and Kidd was getting hard just thinking about what he was going to do. He was sure Law would like it too, once he stopped acting like such a fucking drama queen about the predicament he was in with Doflamingo and all that shit. Because that had to be the issue and reason he was trying to leave.

Too bad Kidd didn't care about his issues as much as the one he had right now. Law turning him on and then trying to leave like nothing had happened. Kidd didn't appreciate being tricked like that, so he was going to deal with that now. He doubted that Law was going to try to leave again as soon as he finished with him.

Law tugged at the door, which was still held firmly shut with Kidd's powers. "Open the door, Eustass-ya."

Oh, Kidd would open the door all right, but only after he blew Law's mind and wore him out so much that Kidd would have no trouble lugging his ass off to his ship in a few hours. That would solve a lot of problems right there.

Kidd didn't bother to say anything, because he figured that Law knew where he was and quite possibly what he was up to. It didn't matter to Kidd either way, because he was fucking horny and going to do something about it. Kidd closed in on Law, and gave no warning as he all but crushed the Heart Pirate up against the closed door, his hands on either side of Law on the door, boxing him in. Kidd rested his head on Law's right shoulder. "You tryin' to piss me off or something, Trafalgar?" Kidd pressed his body up against Law snugly, partially to touch him, and mostly to prevent the Heart Pirate from slipping away, and was rewarded with a swift intake of air, then silence. But Kidd could already tell that Law was breathing more rapidly than he had before, and that was fine with him. It just meant that Law was paying more attention to him than the door he was trapped against.

Kidd's hands dropped to Law's waist, and he tugged at the pants to make them drop down to pool at the other's ankles. Kidd bit Law's shoulder lightly as he mumbled against the skin. "Step outta them. They're in the way." Kidd was pleased when Law did so, even though he could tell that Law didn't like being told what to do, as the dark haired man had kicked them backward in his direction. Kidd retaliated by sticking his right hand down the side of Law's boxers and tugging them down as well. Kidd found it highly amusing that Law didn't seem to appreciate the red head taking the last of his clothes off, as he tried and failed to lash out at him with a leg. "Cute. But if you were actually gonna do something, shouldn't you…" Kidd grunted as Law's nearest elbow got him sharply in the gut. Kidd hissed in pain but managed to keep Law trapped against the door again, even though the dark haired pirate had managed to turn around, and now had his back to the door.

The look on Law's face almost made Kidd laugh. It was an expression of extreme loathing mixed in with lust and frustration. Kidd closed the distance between them, one knee pressing lightly between Law's legs as he leaned over and started to worry at the other's collarbone. At the thin whine of discomfort, Kidd ground his knee lightly in a small circle as he used his hands to keep Law upright as the motion made the Heart Pirate wobble and sag against the door. "If you want to get a move on, turn around again."

Law shot Kidd a withering glare as he attempted to stand under his own power even as Kidd kept him trapped against the door with a knee between his legs. But the dark haired captain made no indication that he was going to turn around, as he seemed content to be where he was, either because he liked what Kidd was doing, or he wasn't sure how to move without demanding that Kidd move his knee away.

Kidd noticed that Law seemed to be thinking about something, so he shrugged faintly as he spoke up again. "Or don't move, I guess." That got a grimace, as Kidd had sneakily moved his knee again. When Kidd saw that Law had recovered and was eyeing him again, Kidd added. "But if you let me do what I have in mind, you can leave afterward if you don't wanna keep going." Kidd leaned in for a kiss. "I bet you'll want to keep going when I'm done, and won't want to go through that door anymore though."

Law allowed the kiss, but his expression was full of doubt that Kidd could do much of anything to get him to change his mind and stay. But the vague offer was intriguing enough that Law started to turn around, even as Kidd moved back enough to allow Law to do so.

As soon as Law had turned around all the way, Kidd moved in close as his eyes roved over Law's uncovered body, before he reached up and tapped the dark haired pirate's nearest arm. "Brace your arms on the door, and hold still."

There was a pause before Law let out another sigh and, with obvious desire to not do just that, rested his forearms against the door. The Heart Pirate did kick backward slightly at Kidd as if to let him know he were thinking of terrible things to do after this for ordering him around.

Kidd ignored that possibility as something he could deal with later, and focused on what he was going to do. If what he had in mind didn't make Law want to stay, then Kidd wasn't sure what would. Kidd pressed up against Law's back lightly, but firmly enough to let him know that he was quite happy to be there. He doubted that Law wouldn't notice how aroused he still was from before. If he didn't, he sure as hell had to figure it out now. Kidd thought he should remove his own pants so there wasn't a barrier between himself and Law, but decided that could wait until he'd finished with what he was going to do.

And what Kidd was going to do was get Law as turned on as he was, until Law decided that it was a better idea to stay behind. And staying behind would allow Kidd to figure out how he would convince Law to go to his ship with him, whether or not he had to take Law himself if the other pirate weren't willing. Kidd looped his artificial left arm around Law's waist as he began to explore Law's back, and in particular, the scar that went through the Heart Pirate's Jolly Roger. It didn't seem to be a very deep scar, but Kidd could tell that it was deep enough that it would be difficult to cover up without a thin line still remaining behind.

"You know you're really damn frustrating to deal with, right? Fucking telling people what to do like they should do it without question." Like when Law expected him to dump off the dark haired pirate's injured crewmate Penguin without so much as asking if it were an okay thing to do. Kidd began to trace his lips along Law's shoulders as his right hand dropped down to wrap around Law's member, which he was disappointed to see was not in any stare of arousal. Kidd supposed the sea stone surprise had killed off whatever desire Law had had to begin with.

Well then, he would just have to get Law aroused again, which Kidd hoped would not be too difficult a thing to accomplish. Law certainly seemed to be compliant right now, if only to prove to Kidd that whatever he had planned wasn't going to work. Kidd grinned to himself as he started to trace the tattoo across Law's back with his lips. He decided that he was going to win the little bet that he had just brought up, especially when Law failed to prevent himself from responding to his touch.

Law jerked against the dual sensations that he was receiving, but he managed to keep his arms braced against the door. "Eustass…ya…what are you…"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Kidd scoffed as he finished tracing the outside of the tattoo, and stooped slightly in order to start to nip lightly at the scar that now went through it. "Shut up and let me concentrate."

Law obviously had difficulty with attempting to be quiet, if only to still prove Kidd wrong about being able to convince him to stay instead of leaving. The resistance started to slip the longer Kidd teased Law's back, and pretty soon the Heart Pirate was hissing several colorful threats at the red head as Kidd continued to run a hand along his member, squeezing gently now and then when Law moved too much, and not stopping the attention he was lavishing on the scar in particular across Law's back.

Kidd merely kept his attention on the scar, until he started to feel Law get impatient and tried to get Kidd to get him off faster than he was. Kidd pointedly ignored that as something else had caught his attention. The small scars that were on the outer edge of Law's back, and to either side of his hips. The red haired pirate dropped the arm from around Law's waist so that he could kneel down and have an easier time checking out the marks against Law's back. He used a digit on the artificial limb to trace them, even though there was no sensation to let him know how the skin felt. Kidd frowned, even as he kept his hand moving along at a slow pace, which Law didn't seem to appreciate.

At least, until Kidd distracted him by inquiring about the scars. Because that's what they were.

"Where did you get these?" Kidd questioned, as he poked the skin with his artificial left hand. "They weren't there before."

Law sagged against the door, struggling to get out of the haze of pleasure that came from Kidd's hand around his member, before the good feeling start to fade as the question sunk in. Law rested his head against the door between his arms. "It doesn't matter."

"I wanna know." Kidd said, even though he was fairly certain that Doflamingo had something to do with it.

Law said nothing, even if he did subconsciously try and get Kidd to finish giving him the hand job that had slowed down to the point that it was almost torture.

Kidd stopped moving his hand and scooted closer to Law's back to rest his head against the nape of Law's neck. "Well?" He was going to keep pushing for information, because he was fairly sure that as soon as he had mentioned it, Law was likely now preoccupied with the scars, as well as where any others might be. And he didn't want Law distracted by that right now.

Law took a short breath, before he made some nonsense sound and jerked his hips forward, against Kidd's hand that still held him. He seemed to have decided that he wanted to get off more than to scold Kidd for poking his nose into something that wasn't his business.

Kidd pretended to misunderstand Law's actions. He was going to get answers one way or another. Besides, Law had been toying with him earlier. "Oh, you want me to stop? Fine." Kidd let go of Law's member, which Kidd was pleased to see was as hard as his felt, and waited to see Law's reaction to the sudden loss of contact.

Kidd watched interestedly as Law sunk to the ground, his arms still braced against the door. It presented a nice image, and Kidd considered remaining on the ground to see if Law wanted to continue. Kidd didn't have to wait long before Law made a response. The red head just didn't expect the venom in the other's tone for the question he had asked.

"You want to know where I got these from?" Law asked without turning around, letting one of his arms drop from the door to trace some of the small, circular scars on his back.

From the sound of it, Kidd probably didn't want to, but figured it would be good for Law to get it out of his system. He sure as hell sounded like he wanted to bitch about the scars to someone, and obviously hadn't been able to yet. Kidd settled down on the ground in a seated position, twisting this way and that until he found a position that didn't make his pants chaff his dick.

"Doflamingo didn't like me lashing out at him after he made me harm my crew. So he used his Devil Fruit powers to piece my skin to hold me in place, after he threw me into a lot of crates." Law worked up the energy to look over his shoulder at Kidd, even if he looked exhausted. Whether from the sea stone or the memory of what had occurred. "And if I happened to make a wrong move while those strings were piecing my flesh, it cut deeper and made it even more painful. It amused him to leave me in that state for a few hours, after slashing my back. He knew that it would scar, but wouldn't let me treat it until there was no way even I could fix it completely."

"Doflamingo is more of an asshole than I thought he was before." Kidd discreetly scooted backward, sensing that Law wasn't quite finished, and that despite being naked and unarmed, Law seemed to be considering the red head as a viable punching bag to take out sudden frustrations on.

"A sadistic one." Law agreed readily enough, as he turned the rest of the way around to face Kidd. "And I guess it was my own fault for not taking any of his threats seriously, even though I knew he would have punished me in some way for attacking him on the way back to his ship." Law started to inch in Kidd's direction, "But I guess I was also blinded by rage for what he made me do to my crew. I should have known that he was trying to goad me into doing something stupid." Law inched further forward as Kidd went backward, and the Heart Pirate captain's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "Something the matter, Eustass-ya?"

Kidd felt himself get even harder at the look of loathing and fury that suddenly appeared on Law's face because _holy shit_ it looked like Law wanted to kill him. With his bare hands. Kidd caught sight of Law flexing his left hand, as if trying to call on his Devil Fruit powers, even though the cuff on his ear prevented him from doing so.

Law figured it out almost the same time Kidd did, because he dropped his hand to his side and glared.

Kidd decided that from the murderous expression on Law's face that perhaps the dark haired pirate now wanted to chop his dick off and stick it somewhere Kidd would certainly not appreciate if he persisted with questioning him. Kidd returned the look with what he hoped was a bored one, and not a 'let me fuck you now' look. Since Law would likely take offense to that for some reason or another. It didn't help, because Law had noticed it almost at once and looked even more pissed off than before. Kidd went back a foot or so, in the direction of the bed as he spoke offhandedly. "What? I thought you wanted to leave? You were gonna leave me hanging before anyway, remember? I just thought I'd return the favor before you went, since you're not makin' this easy on me."

Law's eyes, if possible, grew darker and angrier than before as he got to his feet and slowly started to cross the room, all but openly seething in Kidd's general direction. "And asking questions that I do not want to think about."

"Any other scars I should know about? So when we kick Doflamingo's ass I can give him some?" Damn, Law looked very attractive like that as he stalked across the room with murder in his eyes, even though there was a hint of a smile at the comment. Kidd was momentarily stuck speechless and if the red haired pirate hadn't retained some control, he would have met Law halfway across the room and shoved him back down on the ground to fuck him then and there, the issue about scars disregarded for the time being. But Kidd still had enough control, even as he shifted uncomfortably as he realized that his pants were suddenly just a tad too snug now as he rose off the floor as well and backed toward the bed. Law made it to where Kidd now had his legs pressed against the bed, and the red head offered an uncertain smile. "Or we could just go back to figuring out how long it will take for me to wear you out?"

Law stopped with a few feet still separating them, and considered Kidd's words, "…I highly doubt that you would be able to tag Doflamingo." Law's eyes bored into Kidd's, "And I am exhausted enough as it is, without this infernal bit of sea stone on my ear adding to the feeling."

Kidd half wondered if Law were going to throttle him from the bloodlust radiating from the man, and dared to make a comment about the sea stone. "At least this way you can't cut off my dick or anything with your powers."

Law's brow rose at that and a mischievous smirk appeared. "What makes you think that will stop me from trying in another more permanent and agonizing manner?"

Shit. Kidd dropped both his hands onto his lap in what he hoped wasn't too fast of a motion as he narrowed his eyes at Law. Kidd didn't have any weapons in the room. He'd left them with Killer. Not because he ever considered the possibility that Law would try and commandeer them to try and castrate him.

Law merely smiled at the way Kidd had reacted, before it vanished and he spoke in a more serious tone. "Are you done asking questions yet, Eustass-ya?"

Kidd pretended to give it some consideration, before he shrugged. "Maybe, if you tell me if there are any other scars." Kidd heard a sharp intake of breath. "I wasn't done with you. I still wanna finish, and then you can decide if you want to chop body parts off before you leave."

Law gave Kidd a wordless glare, but his stance relaxed before he dropped his arms to his side and looked away. "There are a few light scars over my stomach and a gash that went along the left side of my waist."

Kidd blinked, before he gave a light grin that Law seemed willing to hold off any bodily harm to let him finish. Kidd's eyes flicked past Law's waist, and noted that the dark haired pirate was still aroused even if he seemed to be too pissed off to think about it. Kidd moved cautiously away from the bed, and, when Law gave no indication of moving, Kidd crossed the few steps that separated them.

Kidd immediately dropped to his knees and started to trace his lips along the scars that Law had mentioned, and paid more attention to the gash-like scar on Law's left side. Kidd heard Law suck in a gasp of breath, and could tell, with a quick glance, that Law wanted to put his hands on his shoulders. But the dark haired pirate was being stubborn about it and refusing to do so.

Fine. Kidd could play a bit longer, if only because he believed he'd already won the bet. He doubted Law was going to leave now, no matter how upset he seemed to be right now. It just made it more fun to tear down the barrier the other pirate had put up.

Kidd began to make his way up to Law's neck and shoulder, and bit the skin lightly as he palmed Law and grinned as the action made the Heart Pirate jerk in surprise. Or maybe it was because of the bite. Kidd kept up the touch for a bit longer, until he felt Law start to relax further, before he let go and stepped back to head for the bed.

"You don't seem to be in the mood anymore. Go back and get drunk with Doflamingo and those other guys. Maybe the massive hangover will clear your head later. Or better yet, when you sail away with them maybe you'll wish you'd done otherwise." Kidd stumbled as he was hit roughly in the back, which pitched him forward, and caused him to fall over onto the ground from the force with which he was hit. Damn, had Law just thrown his body against him or something? Kidd rolled over and up, his back against the side of the bed as he glared a Law, who was picking himself up from the ground as well. Kidd would have laughed if he weren't profoundly annoyed that the Heart Pirate had done that. "What the hell are you doing?"

"No, what are you doing?" Law snapped, losing more of the composure that he had had before.

Kidd looked away. "You're the one who is taking forever to decide whether you want to have a little fun or not. Not my fault you can't stop thinking about that asshole that hurt you. I'd just kill him if it is too much of a problem."

"I'd have done it myself if it were. But it isn't so easy to defeat Doflamingo."

"Then make up your damn mind already, before I have to knock you sorry ass out and go jack off in the damn bathroom down the hall, where a lot of people will hear me hear how much I wanted to screw you into the bed." Kidd suddenly found himself with a lapful of pissed off Law, who seized him firmly by either side of his head and plunged his tongue into his mouth. Hot _damn_. Kidd wasn't about to take issue with that, and just let Law all but devour his mouth in that kiss because _fuck_ it was hot as hell. Kidd would be quite happy to remain where he was on the hard floor if Law continued to kiss him like that.

Most unfortunately, both pirates had to breathe, so when Law finally released Kidd from the kiss, both of them were breathing hard and sucking in gasps of air.

Kidd laughed as he wrapped his arms around Law's bare back, fingers tracing the scar. Funny how a wound like that could be so different when it went through something Law obviously thought highly of. Kidd doubted that Law was as upset about the rest of his scars on his body other than the one through the tattoo of his Jolly Roger. Doflamingo was a fucking jackass because he had to have known that Law would be sensitive about it. Kidd bumped his head against Law's, "So, are you gonna kill me or are we gonna fuck?" He would rather not have to carry out with the idea of knocking Law out unless he absolutely had to.

Some of the anger had left Law by now, but he still didn't appear in the best of moods. At least, it seemed that way, until he leaned back and was very insistent on another breath depriving kiss.

Kidd happily obliged, because at least it seemed that now Law wasn't in the mood to outright murder him. Maybe just mess around with, which Kidd could deal with. The red headed pirate was momentarily confused when, after breaking the kiss, Law flashed a small smile as he slid backward and off of Kidd's lap. Before Kidd could protest the break in the finally there again make out session, Law dropped down and impatiently yanked the red haired pirate's pants off and went down on him as if that was what he had planned to do from the start.

Kidd gripped the bed behind him with one hand. That was rather unexpected, but Kidd had no problem whatsoever with it. In fact, it had been something he'd fantasied about the other day, before Killer had interrupted his daydream and told him to keep it down. Law's hands pushed at Kidd's thighs, and the red headed pirate grumbled something, but spread his legs slightly to give Law access and shit, did Law know how to give a good blow job…and without a hint of teeth. Which was good, because Kidd really didn't want his dick removed from his body. He liked it where it was, but as soon as he took that cuff off of Law's ear, Kidd wouldn't put it past Law to use his powers to mess with him. Kidd's eyes had closed slightly as he concentrated on the sensations Law's tongue was making, until it stopped as suddenly as it had started.

The confused expression that Kidd wore was enough to prompt Law to smile slyly and repeat the phrase he'd used earlier. "Something the matter, Eustass-ya?"

Kidd blinked, then growled lowly and dragged Law back onto his lap and kissed him again. That Law didn't resist the manhandling made Kidd realize that Law was goading him. Fucking skinny bastard. Kidd reluctantly broke the kiss and frowned at Law. "Are you actually angry or are you just being an asshole?" Kidd figured that it was a little of both.

Law gave Kidd a no nonsense glare. "What do you think?"

"I don't know." Kidd said grumpily, even as he slid his right hand down along Law's back. "But I do know that I'm tired of waiting and want to fuck you right now."

"On the ground? Brute." Law reached back and grabbed Kidd's hand as he deliberately ground down against Kidd's not too subtle erection. "You are not going to just use spit or try to go dry. If you do either, I will beat you to a bloody pulp and leave what's left of your body for your crew to find in the morning."

"And you'll do this naked and without being able to use your Devil Fruit powers?" At the sight of Law's eyes narrowing, Kidd fumbled with something out of his pants pocket that lay nearby and produced a bottle. "Is this fine?"

Law gave Kidd an unimpressed look, before he took the bottle from the red head and opened it.

Kidd leaned back against the bedframe and grinned as he watched Law start to prepare himself with the liquid, and damn if it didn't turn him on to see Law's face while he did that. Kidd didn't even have to ask how Law wanted it. "Feel better after getting that all out?" Meaning the short rant on Doflamingo scaring Law's back.

Law gave Kidd an irritated look, before he offered a thin smile. "No, but I appreciate the sentiment. I'm surprised you would even think about trying to make me feel better when you obviously only want to push me down right now and fuck me."

"Is that what you think?" Kidd watched Law add another finger, and grit his teeth. He knew this time around Law was trying to prove a point, and Kidd was going to do his damndest to prove him wrong. "What, I can't ask about how you got injured?"

"That depends on what you would do with the information." Law responded, before he shifted slightly and let out a soft moan. "Would you stop making me think right now?" Law shifted his hips and gave a sly smirk. "Or do you want me to do all the work for you so that you can concentrate on making me enjoy it?"

"I can multi task." Kidd snapped, affronted at the implication, and all but tore the bottle from Law's hand to coat himself in the liquid, beyond impatient at this point with the teasing and conversation when they could have been on round two by now if Law wasn't being such an indecisive bastard. "You gonna run off mid-fuck?" Kidd asked as Law settled over him. Just as Law was about to reply, Kidd thrust up after he becamse frustrated at how agonizingly slow Law had chosen to impale himself. No doubt to continue to drive Kidd mad and doing a damn good job at it.

"Maybe…" Law's hands reached out and braced himself on Kidd, one on the red head's shoulder, the other on his chest. After recovering from the sudden feeling of having Kidd suddenly all the way in him, Law returned Kidd's thrust with a roll of his hips, and smirked as it drew moan out of Kidd that time. Taking a shaky breath, Law finished his thought. "What would you do if I tried to leave now?"

"I dunno. I'll let you know when I think of something." Kidd muttered in return, before he focused on what he was doing. Kidd enjoyed the sensation of being buried to the hilt in Law, but with Law grinding down against him, Kidd was having a hard time trying to set the pace. He wanted to be in control right now, but the dark haired Heart Pirate was making that a difficult thing to accomplish. So, Kidd reached up and wrapped his arms around Law's back and kissed him roughly as he tilted them both over and onto the ground, which gave him a better angle to continue fucking Law's brains out. To wear the son of a bitch out so he could truss him up somehow and carry him off to the ship without too much protest.

Law didn't seem to mind his back pressed to the ground at this point as he wrapped his legs around Kidd's back and wrapped his arms around Kidd's neck, to pull him closer. Law took a breath before he gasped out at a particularly sharp thrust. "Harder."

Kidd's rhythm faltered for an instant before he did as Law asked, and could feel the dark haired man cling to him more tightly. Fuck. He was going to come if Law continued to press up against him like that. Kidd tried and failed to not let the whispers and moans affect him as much as they did.

When he felt himself close to coming, Kidd bit Law's shoulder in retaliation for Law digging in his heels against his back. Kidd laid another bite on Law's collarbone, which drew a yelp as Kidd's hand closed around Law's member and finished what he had started up against the door in what seemed like ages ago, when in reality it had only been a couple of minutes.

Neither moved for a moment as they recovered, and Kidd was actually thinking of crashing for a while before lugging Law's ass off with him.

"Pull out, you idiot." Law hissed, elbowing Kidd in the side. "That is not how I want to wake up. Move."

"Shit, shut up." Kidd groaned but he did as asked. He didn't want to be found like that either, and certainly not by Doflamingo. If only because he couldn't get the idea from his mind that Doflamingo might cut his dick off if he couldn't remove it without more of the liquid from the bottle. The bottle he had no idea where it had gotten to. With a bit of effort, and another, harder slap on his shoulder from Law, Kidd pulled away and dropped alongside the Heart Pirate, before he snuggled up against his back and draped his right arm over Law's waist.

"I don't suppose we could sleep on the bed? My back now hurts. Must you be such an animal?"

"I don't hear you complaining about how it was earlier." Kidd lifted Law up and deposited him on the bed, before curling back up against him with a sigh. Kidd hugged Law to him, thinking about how he was going to pull things off in an hour or so…

"Does your crew know that you are so clingy?" Law asked vaguely.

"Nah, they wouldn't care anyway. They aren't gonna argue with me about it."

"Hm, are you going to take the sea stone off of my ear yet?" Law tilted his head as if to brush the offensive item against Kidd.

The red haired pirate discreetly avoided the touch. "Nah, I like it there. You can't go warping around out of sight just yet." Kidd heard a sigh, and thought that meant they were going to sleep, when he felt Law's hands on his arms.

"That's too bad. I'll just have to make you want to take it off. Remember how loud you were in the cavern? I suppose your crew shouldn't mind if they hear you now?"

"Oh, you ready for another round already?" Kidd asked, and at the sound of another sigh, added, "What, you think that would be enough to get me to take that sea stone off? Think again." Kidd grunted when Law shoved him onto his back and loomed over him with that confident smirk across his features.

"Remember, Eustass-ya, you aren't the only animal in bed." The smirk deepened. "I thought you figured that out the last time."

Wasn't that the fucking truth? Kidd already regretted not tiring Law out as much as he thought he had, but he was sure as hell going to be in a better mood. Even if it did squat to get Kidd to remove the cuff of sea stone from Law's ear.

Hell, Kidd was in such a good damn mood a half hour later that not even Doflamingo himself would be able to ruin the red head's elated mood right now. And as Kidd passed an eye over the now half asleep Law, Kidd just knew that he was going to take the Heart Pirate with him to his ship, whether the Law liked it or not. Tying him up was not out of the question, if that was what it took to get Law to leave with him, and not Doflamingo.

The colorful and cheery atmosphere of the island appeared to go into the night, from the sound of a happy tune still being blared by some poor sod, and that made Kidd think that it would be a great cover to smuggle Law to his ship. If only Kidd could convince the other captain that it was a good idea, and that was going to be the difficult part to actually accomplish.

That, and the problem that was a certain individual sporting a pink feathered coat. Who would not at all appreciate what would begin to unfold in a matter of hours on the colorful Fiesta Island.

But neither Doflamingo nor Kidd would realize until it was too late that the island's inhabitants were about to make things even trickery than they already were.

And it was entirely Luffy's fault.


	14. Chapter 14

The very idea of secrecy and silence and being undercover was completely lost on Luffy as the Straw Hat captain stepped foot onto Fiesta Island. In fact, Luffy seemed to have momentarily forgotten why he was there in the first place with all of the festivity going on around him.

Luffy grew more excited with everything that he took in with each swivel of his head. "Awesome! This island is so cool!" A few kids ran by with some balloons, and behind one of them, following along, looked a lot like a…

"Luffy!" Nami hissed as she caught up with her captain. As soon as she saw what had the other's attention, she let out a sigh, unsurprised, even when Luffy exclaimed loudly.

"Robot! It's a robot! Franky! There's another robot like you here!" Luffy turned about, his expression bright as he pointed out the small mechanical toy that followed the two children as they giggled madly and outran their exasperated parents.

Franky eyed the robot before he smiled back at Luffy and struck a pose. "Sure it is, but can that tiny thing do this?" Franky pressed on his nose, and, even though Luffy had already seen it many times before, still whooped with excitement as Franky's hair changed. The Straw Hat's shipwright struck a pose, "I'm way more super than that robot!"

Luffy was apparently overwhelmed by his crewmate's display. "Yeah, you're way more awesome Franky!"

Nami nearly rolled her eyes at the scene, and wondered why they had agreed that it was a good idea to have her, her captain and Franky initially scout out the colorful island. She said as much to the Heart Pirates that had tagged along and paused to watch Luffy and Franky's exchange. The orange haired navigator jabbed a finger in her crewmate's direction. "This is why I said we should send some of the others to scout things out. Luffy is going to get distracted and Franky is going to draw attention to himself." Nami locked eyes with Shachi, and his guilty expression was clear even from behind his shaded glasses. "And I don't think that I even have to tell you that it is a bad idea for him to be here." Nami indicated Penguin, who was being held by Bepo. "Didn't he just wake up from a coma?"

"Well, yes, but he wanted to come along to make sure that Law is all right…" Shachi's explanation petered out at Nami's fierce expression.

Penguin himself appeared to be uncomfortable, but he tried to speak up in his own defense he sagged against his furry crewmate. His throat was sore, but it was from not using his voice recently. Not from being choked by Doflamingo over two weeks ago. "I'm worried about the captain. He has a strong will, but I worry that it is only a matter of time before Doflamingo breaks him down and gets him to be more like him."

Nami frowned, half keeping an eye on the excited Luffy behind her as she replied. "I don't know what happened between him and Doflamingo, but why does Doflamingo want him? Law didn't seem happy when we saw him on Doflamingo's ship, so then why bother?"

"….I don't know. He wouldn't tell us. He keeps quiet about his past." Shachi was the one to respond to that question.

"I guess I can understand that. Everyone has a past they would rather not talk about." Nami crossed her arms beneath her breasts and narrowed her eyes at the Heart Pirates. "That doesn't change the fact that Penguin, was it?" Seeing a nod, Nami continued. "It doesn't mean that Penguin needs to be here. Didn't Doflamingo want to harm you guys? Wouldn't you be playing into his hands if you went looking for Law?"

"We are his friends, whether Law wants to admit it or not. And friends help each other. No matter how much our captain wants us to stay out of harm's way." Penguin offered a thin smile. "Besides, before we left the ship to come to this island, another of our crewmates got an interesting transponder snail call."

Nami's expression made it clear that she highly doubted that it would explain the reason the Heart pirates were there.

"It was Killer. One of Captain Kidd's crewmates. He said that his captain and ours went to one of the inn rooms last night." Shachi again supplied the answer, after side glancing at Penguin.

Nami clearly hadn't been expecting that, but she recovered swiftly, "And this matters how…?"

"As of ten minutes ago, Killer confirmed that Kidd and Law were still in the same room, and Doflamingo is in another room on the far side of the inn." Penguin said in response, and even if he looked a little repulsed by the idea. "And if Law is still with Kidd..."

"They would be able to leave undetected." Nami caught on fast. "So if they left now, Law would be able to get away from Doflamingo undetected? Is that what you're saying?" At the single firm nod of assentation, Nami herself shook her head. "Hang on a second. That seems too easy for it to go that smoothly. Why wouldn't Doflamingo keep an eye on your captain if he wanted to keep him in check?"

Penguin weakly raised a hand to rub his forehead, and the motion because stronger as the Heart Pirate mused aloud. "Perhaps because Doflamingo is unaware of the more intimate relationship between Law and Kidd. If Doflamingo does not expect Kidd to try and get Law to leave with him, then it makes things easier for us. Doflamingo won't even know that we were here, and we'll be on our way before he finds out..."

The relatively peaceful, festive night way broken by a loud demand that echoed through the nearby area as Luffy suddenly remembered why he was there. "Hey! Mingo! Where are you? Come on out! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Or not." Nami said disparagingly as she rounded on Franky, clearly displeased. "I thought the idea was to keep a low profile!" Now they were going to have not only the possibility that Doflamingo would scotch sight of Luffy, but the entire island. Nami doubted that it was all cheerful and festive all the time. There had to be marines around, and if Luffy made a nuisance of himself...

Nami watched as Luffy rushed down the busy street hollering for 'Mingo' to show his face. Not the best way to start the morning. Especially not if it meant bringing them all to the attention of a very dangerous man. "We better go catch up with him before he draws too much attention to himself." Nami knew that would be a losing battle, because she could already see people starting to murmur and point out the yelling straw hat wearing individual that was doing his best to catch someone's attention.

"Is he always like that?" Shachi asked after a moment, as he watched Franky follow along after Luffy after a moment's hesitation.

Nami let out an aggravated sigh. Why did this always happen? She glanced at Shachi. "He is always like this. Going off without thinking and giving no consideration to the trouble this will bring to the rest of us." Nami produced a snail and contacted the Thousand Sunny. She was glad that Sanji and Zoro answered it, because she had the uneasy feeling that they were going to need some heavy fighting power on their side to make it off the island relatively unscathed.

_"Nami my dear! Do you miss me already?"_

Zoro cut in over Sanji's voice, as if he had shoved him aside. _"Shut up, you damn love cook!"_

_"Eh? What was that, you shitty mosshead?"_ Sanji's voice was back and louder this time.

The two men were obliviously fighting over the poor snail on their end of the line.

Nami cut her two crewmates off impatiently, not in the mood for them to bicker with one another. "Shut up, both of you! Luffy isn't sticking to the plan. No surprise there. He's racing around the island and yelling for Doflamingo to 'show his face'."

_"So you need some back up?"_ It was Zoro that spoke. _"The shit cook has already jumped ship."_

That figured. Nami hoped the blond haired cook could keep himself reigned in when he reached the island. There were certainly a lot of women on the island, and many of them were exactly the kind Sanji would fawn over should he make eye contact. Nami sighed as something exploded in the distance, right in the direction that Luffy and Franky had gone. "I think we need to keep most of the crew on board the ship, in case we need to make a quick getaway. Sanji and yourself should be enough backup."

The transponder snail smiled as Zoro spoke suddenly, _"Usopp says that you can't leave him alone on the ship without someone to protect him."_

"Tell Usopp that if we don't hold back retaliation from Doflamingo, he will have no need to worry about protection, because Doflamingo will go after him." Nami said, not in the mood. She was already upset that because of Luffy's actions, there would not be a chance to get any shopping done on that island unless there was some kind of miracle. One that didn't involve them fleeing for their lives with a cackling Doflamingo trying to murder them in their retreat. Nami shuddered at the thought. Not something she wanted to experience. "Zoro?"

Zoro sounded amused when he spoke over the line. _"Usopp thinks it is a good idea for me to go and help out. He said he would watch the ship."_

That figured. The idea of confronting Doflamingo again so soon was a surefire way to get Usopp to stay behind. It wasn't like the sniper couldn't take care of himself, once he got over his initial fear of something. "That works out fine. See you when you get here." Just as Nami hung up the receiver on the snail, not two seconds later Sanji was suddenly there and wiggling in a very odd manner.

"Nami! I got here as quickly as I could!"

Nami guessed as much from Zoro's comment and Sanji's soaked appearance. If nothing else, it seemed to perturb the Heart Pirates standing nearby at how devoted Sanji was to Nami's safety.

Nami checked to make sure her weapon was looped on her belt, before she started off in the direction of the chaos that was the island. "Come on, let's go find Law before Luffy wakes up Doflamingo." She could only hope that that could be accomplished, because otherwise she didn't know what they planned to do.

Shachi exchanged glances with Bepo and Penguin. Since Nami hadn't tried to dissuade them, they tentatively started to follow along after the orange haired navigator. It was when they had walked several blocks that they noticed the Straw Hat pirate's swordsman joined them, a look of anticipation on his face at the thought of a fight. Shachi managed to speak after a moment, after catching sight of the way the swordsman held himself. "Are you all right?"

Zoro side glanced at the Heart Pirate. "Yes, I am. Why?"

Shachi shook his head wordlessly. He had only been wondering because the green haired Straw Hat pirate was moving like Law had when he'd been injured by an enemy attack.

"What about your crewmate there? Should he be here?"

Shachi jumped at being addressed in return, before he glanced at Penguin, who hadn't raised his voice to say anything in reply. Shachi turned back to Zoro. "Law is our captain. We want to make sure that he is okay." Shachi sighed. "And he might take some convincing to come along with us after what happened. He probably feels guilt for attacking us on the other island, even though it wasn't his fault."

Another explosion sounded from several blocks ahead, and managed to shake the ground beneath them. Zoro dropped his hand to his katana's hilt as he scanned the immediate area for a possible attack. He smiled as another explosion rocked the area. "It sounds like the party is still going on from yesterday."

"It is called Fiesta Island." Shachi said, before he stopped short as several men were suddenly blocking their path. They certainly didn't look like the colorful inhabitants of the island. They appeared more grim, as if they hadn't gotten any decent sleep in days. "These guys don't seem to appreciate the partying."

"No." Zoro offered a thin smile to the armed men as he drew his katana. "These guys sure don't look very festive. maybe they got lost and came to the wrong island."

"Bepo, take Penguin and catch up with the others." Shachi said suddenly, as he had been able to sense that there were more people headed in their direction.

"Right." Bepo said in response, and despite Penguin's protests, went after Nami and Sanji.

The intentions of the men who had appeared in the street didn't appear to be friendly, but they didn't seem to have anything to do with Doflamingo. It seemed far more likely from their attire that they were either government officials in the wrong place or undercover marines. Neither would be a good thing.

Zoro struck a stance as he side glanced at Shachi, who had dropped lightly into a stance of his own as his eyes ran over the couple of other men who had shown up behind them. "You gonna fight?"

Shachi nodded, eyes on the grim faced men surrounding them. "I can fight just fine. But let's make it quick."

Zoro bit down on one katana hilt. "I can take them down in two seconds."

Shachi smiled at that. The Straw Hat crew was definitely not the norm of pirates he was used to running across. The Heart Pirate eyed the men behind them and turned to face them head on. "Two seconds it is."

-x-

Unbeknownst to the clusterfuck that was about to occur, Kidd was quite content to remain cocooned beneath several sheets and a blanket as he pressed up against a warm body. A warm body that was currently squirming as if to try and get away. The red haired pirate sleepily hugged the wriggling body close to his chest, and leaned in to mouth the skin on the other's shoulder. The action stilled the other, before Kidd breathed against the skin. "Going somewhere?"

The tousled head of Law's jerked irritably away from Kidd's mouth. "You really do not want Doflamingo to come looking for me."

Kidd inched right back into Law's personal space, and held on tighter with one arm. "Hm, who said you were gonna go back to that bastard anyway?"

Law stilled, before he wriggled around enough to turn over and face Kidd. Or try to anyway. With the way he was being held, Law only managed to come face to face with Kidd's chest. He scowled at it as if it were the redhead's face. "I do not recall ever saying that I was going to do otherwise."

Kidd rested a hand against the back of Law's head and angled it up so that he could look Law in the eye. "What, you were really gonna just fuck and then leave to go be miserable with that son of a bitch? You looked like you wanted to poison his drink yesterday. And then throttle him."

Law apparently didn't seem to care. Instead, he was trying to push Kidd away from him. "Let go. I need to leave before he starts trying to call my transponder snail and find that I am not where I should be."

Kidd grumbled something as he held on tight to Law and dragged him up into a kiss, and that, at least, momentarily distracted the Heart Pirate from his goal of leaving. "I ain't gonna let you go that easily." Kidd commented after he released Law from the kiss. The pissed off look on Law's face was priceless. Kidd offered a wolfish smile as he slid down and woke the dark haired captain up in another way.

Law obviously wasn't expecting a blow job.

Kidd licked his lips after he felt Law slump bonelssly to the mattress, all desire to flee gone for the time being. Kidd settled comfortably over Law, one arm on either side of Law's head.

Law was panting, his chest heaving slightly from the unexpected action, before he turned an irritated look on Kidd. "I hope you realize that no matter how hard you try to distract me, I am not going to change my mind?"

Kidd merely smiled, pleased with himself when Law ended up cracking one of his own.

Law slapped a hand against Kidd's flesh arm. "And don't look so pleased. Anyone would act that way after a blow job."

"So you _did_ like it." Kidd was absurdly pleased all right, especially when Law rewarded him with a sly smirk.

"You could say that." Law reached up and prodded Kidd's sternum with one finger, "But you really _can't_ distract me forever. Really, Eustass-ya, I need to go." Law tilted his head as a peculiar expression crossed his face. "I would rather Doflamingo not eviscerate you for keeping me to yourself for too long."

Kid snorted, clearly not impressed by the idea. What he was interested in was right beneath him, and Law obviously noticed this too. Or perhaps it was because the red haired pirate had wrapped a hand around his dick, and damned if the dark haired Heart Pirate's body didn't immediately respond to that so soon after it being attended to. Kidd grinned in amusement. "I think you'll be delayed longer than you think." Kidd had no idea that that delay was going to be less pleasant than the thought of sex that morning.

Luffy ploughing into the side of their temporary room and into it was definitely a mood killer.

Kidd had to release Law, because the other man had jerked up into a seated position all of a sudden, even if it cracked his head against the red head's jaw. The reaction, however painful it was to Kidd's jaw, provided a good deal of entertainment to the red haired pirate. Because boy oh boy, was Law _pissed_ to see the Straw Hat captain standing up amid the rubble and patting off the dust. The dark haired Heart Pirate was literally seething by the time Luffy noticed who he had barged in on.

Luffy grinned cheerfully at Law, apparently unfazed by the fact that both Law and Kidd were buck naked. "Tra-guy! There you are!"

"What the hell are you doing here Straw Hat-ya?" Law demanded, clearly forgetting his lack of clothes in favor of scolding the other captain.

Kidd sneakily moved in behind Law and hugged him from behind. Off kilter and frustrated Law was great. So great, in fact, that Kidd felt himself start to get hard. The red haired captain pressed up against Law more comfortably, even as he was elbowed lightly in the gut in retaliation.

Luffy frowned at Law's words, and not the fact that Kidd was making Law decidedly uncomfortable by rubbing his dick against him. Luffy crossed his arms and stated the obvious. "Rescuing you of course. Duh."

Law twitched, half from Luffy's words, and half because he was distracted by an aroused Kidd rubbing up against him absently. Law found it easier to focus on Luffy as he hissed a response. "I do _not_ need rescuing, Straw Hat-ya. I made my decision to protect my crew. If I leave now they will be killed."

Luffy looked unimpressed at that. "You can't make that decision."

"Why the hell can't I make my own decisions?" Law demanded, sounding beside himself with anger.

"Cause they're stupid. So shut up about it." Luffy said this as if it were also an obvious fact. "We need to go anyway."

Kidd grinned as he held on tighter to Law. He could feel Law shaking with fury. Damn, Straw Hat had balls to tell Law shit like that. Kidd couldn't help himself. He had to laugh.

The laughing caught Luffy's attention as he dropped his hands to his side. "Hey, it's you. What are you doing to him?"

"Don't you fucking say a damn thing." Law muttered under his breath, but bit back a moan as Kidd ground up against him lightly.

Kidd laughed again at Law and his reaction, and addressed Luffy as if he hadn't just turned Law on a little more than he had been before, "I was in the process of kidnapping him. His crew told me to do that if I got the chance. Remember that?" Kidd doubted it. Luffy had sounded distracted when Kidd had talked with some of the Heart Pirates awhile back.

"I see." Luffy obviously didn't as he went on. "So you guys need to be naked to do that? You're weird."

It was Kidd's turn to be annoyed, but it was Law who interrupted him. "You didn't bring your whole crew, did you? Doflamingo is on this island."

Luffy was picking his nose, apparently disinterested in the conversation now. "Yeah, they are. They're waiting on the Thousand Sunny." Luffy brightened. "Oh, and your crew came with us too."

"What!"

Kidd and Luffy were obviously startled by the vicious snarl that had emitted from Law.

Law was already up and fumbling into his clothes, seething. Thoughts of sex with Kidd were far from his mind, and had been ever since Luffy had so rudely interrupted them by busting a hole in the side of the inn. "Those idiots." Law scowled at the thought of his crew running around on the island without a care in the world. Law forced his shirt back over his head with a growl of frustration. "Doflamingo really will kill them if he sees them again."

Luffy stretched with a yawn. "We just need to beat Mingo up. What's the big deal?"

Law tossed Kid's shirt into the red haired captain's face as he rounded on Luffy. "The big deal? Doflamingo nearly killed the both of us on Dressrosa as it is. Do not think that you can beat him just because you've had time to recover. He's twice as vicious now that the marines are after him again. His warlord title was recently stripped from him."

"So?" Again Luffy didn't seem all that concerned.

Kidd tugged his pants on hastily and reached for his goggles and furred coat. If they all didn't get out of there that instant, Doflamingo was likely to hear the commotion and come investigate. Especially if Luffy and Law got into a fight, which seemed more likely with every passing moment. The damage alone would be cause for anyone to investigate. "Let's get the fuck outta here." Kidd said as he tugged the coat over his shoulders and adjusted the goggles until he was satisfied. He didn't expect to see the other two captains round on him with equally irritated expressions. The red head almost wanted to laugh when Law and Luffy immediately turned on one another and started to argue.

"Let's go beat mingo up!"

"No! You get the hell out of here with Eustass-ya! Doflamingo won't hurt me. At least, not yet."

"No way!"

The bedroom door of the inn crashed inward into little pieces and that was enough to bring a halt to the argument before it could really begin in earnest.

Doflamingo couldn't fit through the door way, so he had simply cut his way in. His tall figure stood crammed in the destroyed doorway, and what he saw made the grin on his face disappear into one of surprise. That and the fact that Luffy had immediately crossed the room without a hint of hesitation and punched the older pirate in the gut with an armament infused fist.

"Mingo!"

Kidd cracked up at the sight, before he took advantage of Law's distressed expression to shoulder Law in the gut before slinging him over his shoulder.

Law's breathless protest caught Doflamingo's attention, and he viciously punched Luffy back, sending the Straw Hat captain flying backward, and out the hole he had made earlier.

Kidd didn't linger. He went right out the hole after Luffy, even as he heard Doflamingo coming after them, his voice sly and unhurried. But it was obvious that Doflamingo was infuriated by what he had walked into.

"What's this Law? Are you breaking our agreement?" Doflamingo appeared to frame the hole in the wall. The smile was wickedly wide, the teeth bared. "I guess you don't care what happens to your crewmates then?"

Law was about to respond when Kidd shifted him and clapped a hand over his mouth.

Kidd sent a call over his shoulder, not daring to look at Doflamingo. "Nah, he didn't get a choice. I just decided I wanna keep him awhile longer."

Doflamingo's crazed laughter echoed as the man himself came flying out of the destroyed inn room, and right for Law and Kidd.

"Is that so? That's too bad. I'm afraid he is going to be leaving with me." Doflamingo's hand raised, and he had a clear shot at Kidd, which he took advantage of.

Kidd let out a curse as string suddenly wrapped around his ankles and sent him pitching forward with Law letting out a startled sound. Kidd crushed Law to him, to prevent him from going anywhere as he hit the ground and rolled. Kidd attempted to take the brunt of the fall, but Law still let out a distressed sound, and it was only when Kidd righted himself that he realized that he had accidently been squashing Law to the ground.

Law clung to Kidd, seeming unable to let go after the shock of ending up on the ground. That, or the fact that Doflamingo was still headed for them with a cold expression overtaking the smile.

Kidd wasn't sure if Law were using him as a barrier or not, but the fucking string around his legs needed to go. Kidd set about trying to remove it with his artificial left hand, cursing when it held fast.

"You need to move." Law said, matter of fact.

"You think?" Kidd scoffed. "Kinda hard with this shit around my ankles."

Law only them seemed to realize the string, as if he hadn't seen anything but Doflamingo going in for an attack. With a sigh, Law raised a hand. "Room." With a twist of his hand, Law removed the string, though Kidd cursed when a rock struck his ankles.

"What the fuck?" Kidd snapped as he rose, taking Law with him.

"You're welcome. Idiot." Law snapped irritably as he noticed with trepidation that Doflamingo was uncomfortably close. But the Heart Pirate captain needn't have worried, because Luffy was suddenly there as he side swiped Doflamingo with another punch, coming in on his left and forcing Doflamingo to belatedly block with his leg.

"Straw Hat Luffy." Doflamingo greeted, as if he weren't about to chop Kidd to pieces for daring to try and take Law. "Did you already recover from your injuries in Dressrosa?"

Luffy punched with his other fist. "Of course. I ate tons of meat!" Luffy started to try and whale on Doflamingo, only for the other to block his attacks with relative ease. "And Law is coming with me and my crew!"

Doflamingo laughing in a snide, nasty way didn't seem like a good thing.

At least, Law didn't like the three way fight over who he was leaving the island with. To be quite honest, Law would rather leave on his own and go huddle in his own ship for the next several years. Law's thoughts came crashing to an abrupt halt as he caught sight of something that made his stomach clench in knots.

Bepo and Penguin.

Penguin, who was being carried by Bepo, and alive, if injured and not able to move under his own power. Instead of being relieved, as soon as he and Kidd were within range of the oncoming Heart Pirates, Law raised his voice angrily at them, making his crewmates and Kidd startle at the reaction.

"You fools! What are you doing here! Didn't almost dying get you to come to your senses?" Law fought free of Kidd's grip and stormed right up to Bepo, who cowered back, as if not used to seeing his captain in a rage.

Penguin remained unmoving, whether from his injuries or because he was watching Law's approach.

"I keep trying to put you all from harm's way, and what do you do?" Law made a sharp motion with his hand, but Bepo understood enough that he wanted Penguin down so they could be face to face. Bepo carefully set Penguin down, but supported him from behind. The white bear was relieved that Penguin was more or less able to stand on his own, which surprised Bepo. He didn't think that his crewmate had recovered as much to be able to do so.

If Bepo had realized that it was not Penguin in danger of being reprimanded, but Law, he would have held on more tightly to Penguin.

-x-

Penguin watched Law head directly toward him with fury in his eyes, and merely stared back at him calmly. Back on the ship, with that tube down his throat, Penguin thought he was worse off then he actually was. Yes, his body hurt, but he was recovering far more quickly than he or his crewmates had anticipated. When they had anchored, Penguin was breathing well enough that when the tube was gone, he had insisted on being left alone.

Penguin knew he should have taken it easy, but as soon as he was alone in the infirmary, he started to stretch and make his body move. It was nothing to him to work through the pain, as all of his wounds had more or less healed over. It was still painful to make some movements, but he was well enough that he wasn't about to have been left behind to go and try to retrieve Law. Mainly because he knew that Law was not going to do anything to jeopardize his crew's safety, especially when he thought Penguin was still out of commission.

Law was in for a surprise.

The Heart Pirate leaned back against Bepo slightly as Law finished crossing the distance between them and sized the front of Penguin's shirt. The movement jostled his wounds, but it didn't bother Penguin in the least bit. He could feel his captain's hand shaking, which told the worn-out Heart Pirate that Law was afraid, either of Doflamingo exchanging blows with Luffy in the air, or from the fact that he, Penguin, had recovered more or less.

"You damn idiot. What the hell were you thinking? What about the rest of the crew?" Law was shaking more from relief than anything, but the idea that Penguin and the rest of his crew had disobeyed him appeared to hit him hard. "Are you going to get them all killed by binging them within Doflamingo's clutches again?"

Still Penguin didn't speak, until it looked as if Law were thinking about punching him. That triggered something within Penguin, and he was done. Penguin had been thinking of letting Law verbally reprimand him but Law was further gone than he thought. That Law had forgotten a promise he'd made years ago was testament to that. And quite frankly, Penguin was done with his captain trying to tell him what was best for himself and the rest of the crew. Not to mention that Penguin hated people's fists or hands near around or near his face. The beatings from the past were always in the back of his mind. The sharp motion of another being hurting one to bring one back to an unpleasant present.

Penguin reacted instantly as he took a step forward to meet Law, and only felt a little sympathy when his hand snapped up and seized Law's oncoming fist by crushing his own hand tightly around his captain's wrist. Penguin held on fast, refusing to let his bone crushing grip around Law's wrist leave. Penguin spoke softly so that only Law would hear him, though he didn't doubt that Bepo could hear as well. It wouldn't reach the red haired captain nearby, since it was really none of Kidd's damn business. "Do you remember what you said to me after I joined your crew? That you would never hit me or slap me because it triggered memories of my captors doing the same thing? That I didn't want to be visited by those memories? That you even told the rest of the crew to not make sudden motions with their hands around me for the first year that I was on your ship?"

Penguin saw a quick flash of guilt light Law's features, and before the Heart Pirate crewmate's own expression turned cold. "I guess you've forgotten over the years. Forgotten the little quirks of your own crew because you started to be so consumed with your thoughts of revenge." Penguin felt Law's hand twitch within his own. "That's what this is about, isn't it? You still want revenge on Doflamingo. That's why you haven't bothered trying to run." Penguin let his hand ride a little more heavily, drawing a choked sound of protest from Law. "And how are you going to accomplish getting your revenge if you are not able to get close enough to him to do anything about it? Do you really want to become someone you would hate to be? Is this what the one who saved you would want you to do with your life?"

The Heart Pirate crewmate saw Law look away briefly. "That's what I thought. I'm sorry, Law, but I'm not going to let that happen. It was already too late for me."

Law's gaze snapped to Penguin's at that, and he managed to lean to the side to avoid Penguin's other hand in a move that would have likely knocked him unconscious.

Penguin was forced to let go of Law when his captain lashed out with a leg of his own. That nearly made Penguin wheeze out a laugh because his captain was not that kind of a fighter. But weaponless as he was, there was not much of a range of...

The Heart Pirate ducked backwards as Law called up a room and went after him, seeming to forget himself and what Penguin had just said to him. Because Law's hand was going for his chest, and Penguin immediately knew what his captain was up to. If Law tried to go toe to toe with him, Penguin just hoped his captain wouldn't hold it against him for defending himself.

Law didn't seem to put out by the fact that Penguin had dodged him, even if another guilty look flashed across his features.

"Doing it for my own good?" Penguin muttered under his breath as he surveyed his captain from a distance. This was going to be difficult because Penguin would rather not have to knock his captain out again. Even if it _would_ be for Law's own good.

-x-

On the sidelines, Kidd was at a loss of what to think or do about the display. Who the fuck fought their own captain anyway? Though the red haired captain inwardly admitted that he _had_ come close to getting into fights with Killer on occasion...

But back to the current problem at hand.

Law and Penguin had to be out of their damn minds to be doing this with Doflamingo so close by.


	15. Chapter 15

Kidd wondered if Law would have never started the fight if he had known for certain that Penguin was going to go against him seriously without holding back. Even now, the red haired captain could tell that Law wasn't trying very hard to hit his crew mate. It was a pity, because Kidd could tell from just a mere glance at the cold expression across Penguin's face that the Heart Pirate was not going to be as kind to his captain in return. Kidd would have almost, almost been a little worried about Law's health if Penguin's intentions weren't to just to take Law down and cart him off back to a ship. Whether it was Law's own ship or Kidd's, the red head didn't care.

"Penguin, that's enough. Stop right now."

Kidd didn't think it was a good sign that Penguin didn't appear to be receptive to what was obviously a direct order from a captain to his subordinate. The curl to the Heart Pirate's lips didn't bode well for Law either, and Kidd wondered if he ought to interfere. But the phantom reminder of a hand to his throat surfaced, and the red head decided to stay out of it for now. He'd rather not have Penguin not back down if Law wasn't able to get him to listen to him. Kidd liked his throat intact, and he had no doubt that Penguin could do some nasty damage if given the chance.

"I won't. Not until you stop this nonsense. Is getting revenge on Doflamingo really worth so much that you'd turn your back on your own crew?" Penguin lunged forward, and only Law's powers prevented him from landing the intended punch.

"I'm trying to protect you all! And none of you will stay away!" Law swapped places with Penguin this time as Penguin lunged at him.

"Because we're not going to let you do this to yourself! You obviously trust us enough for you to want us in your crew, so why don't you let us help you?" Penguin recovered swiftly from the switch, and turned about to meet Law's retaliating strike.

Seriously, where did Law find this guy? Kidd wouldn't have liked any of his crewmates arguing against his decisions, unless they were very stupid ones that he obviously needed to be talked out of. Kidd still regretted not listening to Killer on one occasion, and so now Kidd had one less limb. Since then, Kidd grudgingly listened a little bit more to his crewmates, even if he did happen to take more risks than was likely good for his health.

"I am not going to change my mind." Law circled around his crew mate again, obviously looking for an opening.

Kidd was surprised to see an almost sad look pass over Penguin's features, before it settled into a neutral one as he dropped into a fighting stance.

"Then I'm going to apologize in advance for what I'm going to do."

And that was that. The duel had started out hesitant, which made Kidd figure that neither of them were trying to do too much damage if they could avoid it. But before long, the careful way the two moved in for a jab here and there grew less gentle and became far more aggressive. The two Heart Pirates nearly seemed to be dancing with one another as they weaved in and around one another's strikes, both looking for an opportunity to land a finishing blow. At this point, Kidd could tell that Penguin and Law both knew that there was no reasoning with one another, even if they did try anyway. The red haired captain had been right. Law and Penguin were idiots.

Kidd watched from the sidelines, not quite sure what to make of the exchange. Not that he would have argued with Law's crew mate over beating Law up for his own good. The dark haired pirate captain was far too loyal to his own crew to even think about trying to escape with them and face Doflamingo's wrath with them by their side. No, Law wanted to protect them from harm and keep them out of said harm's way. It wasn't going over very well with at least Penguin, and Kidd wondered if the rest of his crew felt the same way.

"Stand down, Penguin."

"I can't do that, captain."

Kidd knew that it was probably a bad thing to not be paying attention to his surroundings, but he couldn't help himself. A sweaty and heavily breathing Law was quite a sight, and Kidd felt no shame whatsoever keeping his eyes glued to the other captain. To the way the dark haired pirate twisted out of range of any serious damage. Law's ass looked quite nice in those jeans too. Kidd hadn't noticed that the night before, and blamed the shitty lighting for missing that little detail. It was a pity that he hadn't copped more of a feel, but then again, Law had been trying to sneak off for most of the night, so Kidd had more important things on his mind than checking out Law in his nicely fitted jeans.

"Fuck." Now was not the time to be getting hard. It wasn't like he could take care of it in the midst of a battle going on nearby, and one that was currently going on overhead. It didn't help Kidd much that Law looked very sexy from the exertion he was putting in to avoiding Penguin's strikes, and felt absurdly pleased that some of the weariness was likely from them having sex twice the night before. Not that Law was making it obvious that he had a bit of a limp. Kidd frowned. It was too bad Law hadn't just shut the hell up and gone along with him before he was forced to fight his own crewmate. Kidd would have preferred to have been the one to haul Law's sorry ass off, but as long as Penguin knocked Law down, Kidd could still haul him off whether the dark haired pirate liked it or not. Neither Penguin nor Kidd were going to allow Law to slink off to Doflamingo for what they believed to be selfish reasons.

"Mingo!"

Kidd reluctantly took his eyes off Law, who'd just side stepped another glancing blow from Penguin to see what Luffy was yelling about. The red haired captain grinned wolfishly at the sight. Damn, Luffy was incredibly fearless to be taking those nasty strikes Doflamingo aimed his way. Kidd watched as Luffy blocked a punch from Doflamingo and returned it with one of his own, before the two men broke away and landed on opposite rooftops, all but openly glowering at one another. Kidd might have been impressed with Straw Hat's display had the stupidity not continued when Luffy opened his mouth.

"Tra-guy is coming with us!"

Doflamingo grinned massively like he found Luffy the most interesting thing in the world. "That brat isn't going anywhere but back to my ship, Straw Hat." Or not. It was more like Doflamingo found Luffy akin to an irritating itch that he just couldn't rid himself of, no matter what he tried.

"Captain!"

Kidd turned his eyes back on Law and Penguin's duel at the cry from Law's other crew mate, the white bear. He'd forgotten about that animal. It was weird that he was speaking. Kidd felt a flash of irritation and anger at the sight of Penguin managing to get past Law's defenses to land a solid blow to his stomach, which sent him backward into the nearest wall of a building. Kidd's hand twitched, longing to return the favor to Penguin, but just managed to restrain himself. It wasn't his fight, and if Penguin took Law down, then Kidd wouldn't have to do it. Kidd grinned to himself. He'd just make sure that he was the one to carry off Law's exhausted body. Kidd would have to make sure that he was all right after all.

"Room."

Kidd watched as Law swapped positions with some debris on the ground and almost use another of his powers on Penguin. The attack missed, and nearly tore a slight hole in the Heart Pirate crew mate's clothes. Kidd narrowed his eyes as he caught sight of Penguin's fist clenching. The red haired captain guessed that meant that Law's crew mate was going to strike the same place. As much as he wanted to prevent Penguin from doing so, Kidd again reminded himself that they were trying to drag Law off from here without making too much of a scene.

"Ack!"

Kidd caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye, and barely managed to get out of the way to avoid being stuck down by the appearance of Luffy. The Straw Hat captain crashed into the ground mere inches from where Kidd had been standing before. Kidd didn't even bother to check if Luffy got up or not, because Straw Hat's meeting with the ground meant that Doflamingo was not going to be far behind. The screams from nearby passerby's didn't bode well, nor did the sinister chuckling of Doflamingo as the older pirate moved down from where he was perched overhead.

"I don't know why any of you are bothering with Law. He already made his decision. Why must you interfere?"

Kidd shifted so that he was blocking Doflamingo from Penguin and Law's still ongoing fight, though from the gasp and grunt, it sounded like Penguin had the upper hand over his captain. But right now, Kidd couldn't resist baiting Doflamingo, because the son of a bitch was pissing him off by staking a claim on Law. It riled him up more than he would have thought possible and it made his mouth run.

"Too bad he isn't going to go back with you then." Kidd might have been concerned at the baring of teeth he received for that remark, if he hadn't already been using his Devil Fruit powers and getting a little revenge for Doflamingo tangling his legs up earlier. "Repel."

"Bullet String!"

Kid bit his lip hard as the attack cut his upper right arm, but the pain was worth it to see Doflamingo stumble because his legs were temporarily caught by a cluster of metal. Kidd flicked his fingers with a grin of his own, and felt no pity at all for slicing Doflamingo's legs up. He only regretted not anticipating how quickly Doflamingo would respond, as he suddenly felt sharp pain across his chest as he was thrown backward by a vicious kick as Doflamingo had managed to free one of his long legs. Hitting the building hurt just a bit more after being kicked by someone larger than you. It also sucked having the breath driven from one's body. And to add to the humiliation of being dealt with so quickly, he had to land next to Law, who immediately scolded him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? He'll kill you."

"Shut...the fuck...up." Kidd gasped as he turned an irritable glare on the dark haired pirate.

Law wheezed out a laugh, but it was obvious he wasn't going to have an easy time getting back up from where he had fallen to the ground. Penguin had certainly did a number on him.

Kidd wasn't entirely happy at how quickly Law got his ass whipped by his own crew mate, but the thought fled as Doflamingo slashed the ground dangerously close to his head.

"I knew you looked like you wanted to get laid last night, Law, but I didn't realize you'd already been with him before."

Kidd winced as Doflamingo slashed the ground even closer, taking some of his coat with it. Damn, he'd liked this coat. Fucking son of a bitch tearing it up with causal waves of his hand.

"Were you planning to leave all along, Law? Did you call him to the island to be able to slink off with him?"

Kidd didn't like being ignored, but he'd rather not draw more attention to himself than he already had. Mainly because he needed to catch his breath before launching a counterattack. Kidd saw Law prop himself up on one arm, and he was seething at someone. Doflamingo, most likely.

"Shambles."

Kidd twitched as one of the daggers he had vanished and reappeared in Law's hand. What the fuck? What did Law think he could do with a fucking dagger against Doflamingo?

Law smiled wearily, before he leaned up against the wall and stared around at those within view. A half smile hovered around his lips, and Penguin was the first to speak, a warning in his voice.

"Captain, don't do that-"

"Mingo!"

Luffy slammed into Doflamingo with a heavy armament infused punch, but the older pirate reacted immediately by gripping Luffy's nearest limb. Doflamingo's other hand raised with the intention of doing much more deliberating damage than just tossing Straw Hat around.

"Quit getting in my way, Straw Hat Luffy!"

Kidd frowned as Law, who was still retaining his room around them all, jabbed the dagger forward, before he twisted the fingers of his other hand.

"Shambles."

Kidd blinked in confusion. What the hell? Why was he standing up now and facing Law? Hadn't he been on the ground before? Kidd heard Penguin's voice, and felt a sense of foreboding.

"Did you really have to do that Law?"

Kidd turned his head, and started in surprise. Why the fuck was he looking at his own body on the ground? And why the hell was it moving without him? Kidd heard Law's crew mate speak again and was startled to hear the man's voice come out of his body.

"Exactly what is this supposed to accomplish? You've only tired yourself out more this way."

Law let out a weak breath of laughter, before he slumped on the ground and dropped the room with obvious effort. "...It was the only thing I could think of to get you all to stop fighting for a moment." The dark haired Heart Pirate captain settled onto the ground further, and appeared to lose consciousness.

"Law?"

Kidd frowned down at the dark haired pirate's limp form. That just fucking figured that Law would wear himself out to this extent. And since when the hell could Law swap people's bodies? That was bizarre as hell. And did Law really have to put him in Penguin's body? The man was shorter than he was, and he didn't have a Devil Fruit power. Kidd heard a curse before he heard Penguin direct a question to him.

"How do you keep this metal arm attached? It feels like it is slipping."

Kidd let out an aggravated breath. "My Devil Fruit obviously. Is it too difficult to figure out?" Kidd sneered at Penguin, and felt that his body didn't seem as threatening anymore. Maybe it was because Penguin was making his body's expression scrunch up into one of confusion.

"How?"

Before Kidd could state the obvious to Penguin, or rather, what he felt was obvious, Luffy and Doflamingo ended up gathered nearby. Kidd couldn't help but snigger as it became clear in an instant that Law had swapped their bodies as well. But while Luffy was having a blast at the weirdness of it, Doflamingo was pissed off and quite unhappy with Law, who was most certainly out of commission for the time being.

"Awesome! I'm so tall right now!" Luffy checked Doflamingo's body over, before he grinned. "Does that mean I can fly around in the air like mingo can?"

Kidd wasn't sure whether to laugh or not at the peculiar sight of Luffy trying to make Doflamingo's larger body 'fly'. Seeing the pink feathered coat wearing former warlord flap his arms and take high jumps into the air nearly did him in. Though it was quite amusing to see Doflamingo get highly annoyed while in Luffy's body, Kidd blinked in confusion as he noticed something else. Where in the hell had Doflamingo produced those shades and slipped them on over Luffy's eyes? The wonder was gone as soon as Doflamingo directed his ire on Luffy.

"Straw Hat! Stop doing that with my body!"

Luffy paused in his efforts and frowned at his own body. "How did you fly? I can't fly right now. That's boring."

"I don't fly! I use my Devil Fruit powers when I'm in the air!"

Luffy brightened, and Kidd found the obvious cheer quiet disturbing to see on Doflamingo's body. Thankfully the shades were still in place. Kidd was sure if he'd have broken down into gales of laughter if he'd seen Luffy light up with visible eyes in that bastards' body.

"Oh, like this?" Luffy flicked a hand experimentally, and jumped slightly when he ended up tearing off a sign from its post nearby. Luffy looked at his hand, then the sign, before he grinned in excitement. "Awesome! How did I do that?"

Doflamingo had the presence of mind to duck as Luffy swung a hand again, and did more damage than he'd meant to, as evidenced by the look of surprise that crossed Doflamingo's body's face.

"Oops."

Kidd couldn't help but snigger at Doflamingo trying to dissuade Luffy from using his Devil Fruit powers, because Luffy seemed quite keen on trying them out. It figured that Doflamingo's words would have no effect, because Luffy started flicking one of Doflamingo's large hands at the sky.

"Huh? I think I feel a tugging? What's that?"

"You hit a cloud!"

Kidd wondered if Doflamingo had forgotten about the fight with Luffy, as the older pirate seemed much more distressed that Luffy was toying around with his Devil Fruit powers and making a mess of the town. Kidd decided that it was fucking hilarious, and would just sit back and watch the chaos unfold. Kidd spotted movement, however, and tilted his head to catch sight of Bepo in the background looking like he wasn't sure what to make of the situation. As much fun as it was to see Doflamingo getting into a heated argument with Luffy, Kidd decided that he ought to go over and check on Law, however, before Doflamingo could do anything to him. Kidd crouched down next to the dark haired pirate's side, and watched the rise and fall of his chest. Kidd winced slightly as he tilted his head. Damn, how the hell was Penguin moving around when his wounds weren't fully healed? "Trafalgar?"

No response.

Kidd wondered if Law had fallen unconscious, but he was still in Penguin's body. Did the Devil Fruit's power not break if Law was knocked out or ended up passed out? Kidd tensed up as Doflamingo stalked over to him, and even as Doflamingo threatened and raved, Kidd found it very strange to see Luffy looking so angry. At the very least it seemed as if Doflamingo had given up trying to stop Luffy from messing around with his powers. Kidd figured that would have been a lost cause anyway. Luffy didn't appear willing to listen to anyone. Or perhaps it was because Doflamingo didn't want to chance damaging his own body, no matter how irritating Luffy was.

"Change us back right now, Law!" Doflamingo appeared to take offense to Law not responding right away, because he reached out with a hand and gripped the front of Law's shirt. "I know you can do it as easily as you did just now."

Silence.

"Don't try my patience, brat. I can find ways to make you do as I ask."

Kidd reacted automatically and reached out to grip the wrist to prevent Doflamingo from likely shaking the barely conscious Law. "Leave him alone." Kidd winced as Doflamingo let go of Law in favor of seizing him, and turned his anger on him instead.

"Don't tell me what to do. You really have nothing to do with this, so stay out of it before I make you."

Kidd grunted as he attempted to free himself from the grip Doflamingo had gotten on his arm. Jeez, both Law and Doflamingo apparently had issues with people trying to tell them what to do. Kidd turned Penguin's, his, he supposed for now, head, and griped down at Law. "At least change me and your crew mate back. I doubt that you want anything more to happen to this body, right? It feels like his wounds aren't completely healed over."

"Leave my body alone, Doflamingo."

Kidd damn near laughed his ass off at the sight of Penguin using his body to drag Luffy's body away by the scruff of his neck, successfully distracting Doflamingo. And holy shit did Doflamingo appear to be even further enraged at being treated in such a matter. So much so that he attempted to twist Luffy's body around to punch at Penguin in Kidd's body. It didn't have much effect since Penguin had enough sense to lean out of the way, and appeared to be quite content to continue to hold Doflamingo by the scruff of his neck. The cursing was interesting to see issue out of Luffy's body in Doflamingo's deeper voice.

Law mumbled something, but he didn't have his eyes open as he continued to rest on his side and wheeze in breaths with the quick rise and fall of his chest. It didn't seem like the dark haired Heart Pirate even had the strength to lift his head at this point, let alone utilize his powers. Which was highly inconvenient. It meant that they were going to have to get off the streets and soon, before they drew attention to themselves. Kidd supposed he or Penguin would just have to get Law and -

"There! They're over there! The pirates! Capture them!"

"They destroyed those buildings!"

"They must be working with _them_."

Well fuck. It had to get worse than it already was, didn't it? That just fucking figured. It seemed like he was having real bad luck as of late. Kidd hastily scooped Law up in his arms, even if it was far more difficult than before since he didn't have the muscle and height advantage over him. "Damn, you're more of a gangly bastard now." Kidd muttered, and he could have sworn he saw a faint smile cross Law's lips. Before Kidd could actually see if the dark haired pirate was actually awake, sudden gunshots rang out, as well as a blast from a smaller cannon that struck in the midst of them, setting off a small explosion and sending those present in different directions.

Doflamingo, Law and Kidd were thrown in one direction, and cut off from the others as a pile of rubble piled between where they were and where they'd come from.

Kidd had the presence of mind to keep a hold of Law and just barely managed to prevent him from being further wounded, though it is a little awkward since he was shorter in this body than his own. Not to mention Penguin's body was still recovering from all of the wounds he'd received from before. It hurt to even right himself, and he could have sworn that he was bleeding somewhere. But he could have just received a new wound in that blast. Kidd checked Law over, and was a little more thorough then he really needed to be. He'd even sneakily creeped fingers over Law's waist, and was absurdly pleased when one of Law's hands closed over his weakly.

"Don't go feeling me up while you're in my crewmate's body." Law breathed softly, his eyes fluttering open briefly. "It seems very wrong."

"Then you shouldn't have swapped our bodies in the first place." Kidd muttered crossly in return.

Law closed his eyes, but squeezed Kidd's hand lightly. "Seriously, don't do anything to me while you're in that body. Penguin would kill me."

"Not even a kiss?" Kidd asked, and didn't give a shit if he had sounded whiny and childish, like the dark haired Heart Pirate captain had denied him something unfairly.

"No." Law stated firmly in return, before he let out a sigh and went limp.

Kidd leaned over Law anxiously and tentatively squeezed his hand. There was a faint twitch in response, and Kidd felt his borrowed body's shoulders droop in relief. So Law wasn't completely unconscious then. Just exhausted. At the very least it appeared that Law was all right somehow. "Lucky bastard. At least you didn't get injured in that blast." Kidd shifted gingerly. He missed his own body already. Penguin's didn't seem to be as hardy as his was.

Doflamingo, it turned out, had managed to avoid taking any damage at all in Luffy's body, as the bullets had had no effect, and landing on the ground had done nothing more but briefly knock the wind out of him.

Kidd subconsciously clutched Law's barely conscious form close as Luffy's head turned in their direction. Law hadn't said anything about holding him, so he was going to do just that. If nothing else he could annoy Doflamingo a little with the display.

"Law is going to go back with me. He can't go back on his word, or I'll just kill his crew when I next see them, and then take him with me anyway." Doflamingo considered Kidd for a moment. "I suppose I may as well include you as well, though I doubt Law counts you as someone he is as close to as his own crew."

That ticked Kidd off, but being in Penguin's worn out and again injured body actually made him think instead of act right away. It appeared like Doflamingo was trying to goad him right now, but what could Doflamingo do while he was in Luffy's body? Did Devil Fruit users have an easier time using someone else's powers if they themselves had one? Kidd found out quickly that Doflamingo could use Luffy's powers, minimally, as a fist came out of nowhere and clocked him in the face.

"Fuck." Kidd went sprawling backward, but he knew that had Doflamingo had better control, he would have been able to hit him just a bit harder than he had just now. But it was enough. Doflamingo had obviously accomplished what he had wanted to do. Separate Kidd from Law.

Doflamingo crouched down next to Law, his eyes locked on Kidd's as he spoke to Law. "If you don't want me to kill that bastard in your crew mate's body, change us back now. This is only delaying the inevitable, and adding to what I plan to do with you once you put things back the way they were."

Falling to the ground appeared to have jolted Law out of his daze, because the dark haired pirate tilted his head slightly, his voice fainter than it had been before. "...can't."

Doflamingo made Luffy's expression warp into a displeased scowl. "You're obviously awake enough to use your powers. So use them. Quit fooling around."

Law gave a faint shake of his head. "Can't...need both bodies..."

"You...what?"

Seeing a ruffled Luffy was very, very odd, even if it was Doflamingo.

Kidd got a sinking feeling when Law murmured his words. Well shit. That meant he was going to be stuck in Penguin's body and Doflamingo in Luffy's until they were able to meet back up with the others. Kidd noticed that Doflamingo looked like he wanted to throttle Law, but he was interrupted by a group of people appearing, most of them bearing shackles as they surrounded them.

"We found some of them!"

"Capture them while they're recovering!"

"Don't let those pirates get away!"

Kidd reacted as quickly as he could make Penguin's body act, which wasn't very fast. By the time he made it back to Law's side, the people that had gathered had set upon them all. As much as Kidd wanted to fight, he could tell that it wasn't going to do him any good with the state of the body he currently had control of. So as much as it pissed him off, he allowed their attackers to cuff his wrists behind his back. Law didn't react to being manacled either, but that could have just been because he was barely conscious at this point. Kidd knew that the other reason that he didn't fight back was because he didn't want Law to end up being hurt. Which kind of pissed Kidd off that he was even concerned for the other pirate captain in the first place, with all the body swapping bullshit he had just pulled.

"Law!"

Kidd caught sight of Doflamingo being pinned down by several people as he fought like crazy to prevent their intentions. But as he was unfamiliar with Luffy's Devil Fruit powers, he was unable to put up as much of a fight as he had apparently wanted to. Kidd more or less tuned out the threats that Doflamingo started to snarl, as Kidd decided that he was going to make sure that Law would be all right. Because Law needed to be fine so that he could put everyone back into their correct bodies. Kidd was desperately trying to tell himself he didn't actually feel any concern for Law, but it was a hard thing for him to do. Especially after the previous night had reminded him that he was willing to do more than the occasional fuck in some random inn bed. That he might actually be fine with their meetings becoming more...of a regular basis kind of thing.

"Did you get the others?"

"They're being pursued right now by the other group we had out on patrol. They were going to meet up with us at the checkpoint."

"Good. I want all of these pirates in one spot to keep an eye on them."

Kidd froze as one of the people forced a bag over his head, and figured they did similarly to Doflamingo and Law, because Kidd heard Doflamingo cursing and threatening to kill them all. Kidd stumbled as he was lifted to his feet and shoved into a walk.

"You two, either carry your friend or we drag him."

Kidd presumed they meant Law, and was proven correct when he felt Law being shoved at him. It was awkward being chained as he was, but Kidd managed to get one of Penguin's arms to link slightly around Law's right forearm, though it was hard to walk and keep the more or less limp Heart Pirate upright while he himself was handcuffed, and with the limbs behind his back at that.

"You are going to pay for this, Law."

The threat was a low growl, but suddenly it was a lot easier to help Law along, so it had to have meant that Doflamingo had made the decision to set aside any animosities to keep Law functional. Doflamingo obviously wanted to be back in his own body more than the idea of letting Law suffer a bit by being dragged about. Kidd smiled despite the shitiness of the situation. It certainly would be better for Law to be in good shape if he was going to swap everyone back into their own bodies.

"Get walking already. We got a couple of miles to go."

Kidd was going to kill Law. No, that would be letting the dark haired pirate off too easily. Kidd was going to fuck him into oblivion for being such a fucking dumbass, thinking that it was a good idea to pull this bullshit on them on an island they knew next to nothing about. The cheerfulness of Fiesta Island was obviously covering up something very dark. And it seemed like they were now involved whether they wanted to be or not. And to think that less than an hour ago all Kidd had had on his mind was sex...

"Are we going to hand them over to the marines?"

"Yeah, aren't their bounties really, really high?"

"We _could_ use the money."

As they were hauled off along a path to who the hell knew where with Doflamingo's threats overriding the other people's voices on occasion, Kidd had only one regret as he held tight to Law's nearly limp body. That he didn't fuck Law into exhaustion sooner than he had, and hauled him off in the middle of the night. Because a midnight getaway from the noisy island would have been a hell of a lot less painful and humiliating then having his body switched with Law's crew mate. And the soon to be annoyance of whatever it was they had all gotten themselves in to with their sudden captors.

"Move faster!"

It was turning out to be a very shitty morning, and there was absolutely nothing Kidd could do about it. At the very least, Kidd hoped that Straw Hat would be able to provide some sort of diversion. Not that it would really amount to anything, but it would be entertaining all the same, if that put a halt to whatever their captors had planned. As if reading his thoughts, Straw Hat's voice suddenly rang out in the distance, and Kidd couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Whoa! That building was cut in half! Did I do that?"

Kidd figured that someone really should have told Luffy that playing around with someone else's Devil Fruit power could potentially be dangerous. Kidd heard what sounded like someone running into something, followed by a grunt of surprise and what appeared to be more property damage. Kidd, despite still moving along at the pace his captors' wanted him to be moving in, dissolved into crazed laughter at the absurdity of all that was happening. He would have loved to see whatever it was that Luffy had done, but Kidd could imagine what it was all the same.

For someone of Doflamingo's stature, ducking was a must when going into a building. Luffy obviously hadn't realized this tidbit of information.

"Hey! Where'd the door go?"


	16. Chapter 16

Law was uncertain as to how long he had been unconscious, but it had been long enough that the sound of a fight going on around him was now gone. It was replaced with an eerie silence instead, and Law immediately knew he would have preferred to have the sound of a battle raging on. Quiet mean that there was something not right. The dark haired pirate's eyes opened slowly and blinked as he drowsily took in his unfamiliar surroundings. It took his still waking up mind a few minutes to piece together what had happened. Then it hit him all at once.

He had been captured.

That much was certain. And Law knew that he had been captured by people on the island, though the Heart Pirate captain was unsure whether they had been marines or if they had been locals of the island. It didn't matter either way, until those people's intentions were presented to them. Law let his eyes slip close as he let out a long and drawn out sigh. It was times like these that he really wanted nothing more than to be aboard his own ship and safely beneath the waves, out of marine eyesight…

"You awake, Trafalgar?"

Law turned his head to the side at the sound of Kidd's voice before he froze at the sight of Penguin, who currently stared down at him. The rest of the events leading up to his unconscious state rushed back to him. Right. The dark haired pirate remembered now. He had swapped their bodies. It kind of disturbed Law for Penguin to be looking at him as if he wanted to jump him, because Law knew for a fact that his crewmate was not interested in him in that way. But as it was Kidd, Law was somewhat all right with it, though he hated to be eyed in the way he was by his crewmate's body.

"Seriously, say something. You look like someone hit you over the head." Kidd leaned over, his expression showing traces of concern, which the other man normally hadn't bothered with when he'd run into Law in the past few months. "They didn't hit you over the head again, did they?"

Law figured out Kidd's intentions as the other man leaned over him more closely, and hastily reached up with a hand to cover Penguin's mouth.

Kidd made a muffled grunt of annoyance around Law's hand, but didn't try to do anything else. Instead, he settled for giving Law an annoyed look.

"I told you before, do not try and do any of that while you are in my crewmate's body, Eustass-ya." The Heart Pirate narrowed his eyes at Kidd as if warning him off. "You obviously weren't struck over the head, so there's no way you could have forgotten that fact already."

"Fuck, you are so damn annoying. Isn't it technically my body for now?" Kidd wore an irritated frown after he'd moved Law's hand away from his temporary body's mouth. "Shit, why the hell did you swap us all in the first place? And don't say it's 'cause we were irritating you. You coulda done a lot of other things than this." Kidd waved a hand at himself in Penguin's body to make the point.

"Do not speak so loudly." Law said as he settled on the ground more heavily with a sigh. "I have a headache after being batted around so much." The Heart Pirate captain added, though he couldn't protest when Kidd dragged him up and wrapped his arms around his waist and chest. Law shifted irritably within Kidd's grasp, though there wasn't much he could do to free himself as worn out as he was. "I believe this counts as something I do not want you to do with Penguin's body."

"I'm just holdin' you up. What's wrong with that?" It was clear that Kidd _did_ know what was wrong but was deciding to play dumb.

"The fact that you are breathing against my throat is another problem." Law pointed out as he tried and failed to free himself from Kidd's grasp. Law managed to slap the other man's hand away from his thigh. "Control yourself."

"Law. Change me back. _Now_." A low growl sounded from nearby, cutting off whatever response Kidd had been about to snap back at Law with.

"I can't without another body." The dark haired doctor said calmly in response as he causally cast a glance in the direction that Doflamingo's voice had come from. Law swiftly remembered that he had switched the former warlord with Straw Hat's body. After taking in the sight of the shades still in place, Law's lips curved up in a smirk.

"Something amusing you, Law?" Doflamingo asked, still in the same low, gravelly voice. Like he was restraining himself from doing anything that might prevent getting his own body back.

"How does it feel to be short, Joker?" Law asked conversationally, which in turn caused Kidd to snicker.

Doflamingo bared his teeth in return, which looked quite strange on Luffy, coupled with the shaded glasses that had somehow stayed on during their capture and subsequent kidnapping to where ever the hell they were now.

Law noted from his upright position that all three of them were in a makeshift cage, and in the middle of nowhere on an island they knew little about. Funny, Law didn't remember being taken anywhere, but then again he had been just about unconscious after he'd switched Kidd and the others with his Devil Fruit powers. That really didn't seem to have been a good idea now, but at the time it had made perfect sense in order to get the other men to stop arguing over who he was going to leave the island with.

"It's really fucking weird to see Straw Hat like that." Kidd commented as he rested his chin on Law's shoulder to stare at Doflamingo.

"Those are sea prism stone, I take it." Law stated as he ignored Kidd in favor of the sight of the handcuffs around Luffy's wrists. Why they cuffed them in front of the body instead of behind his back was a mystery. Law felt that Doflamingo wouldn't pass up the chance to try and choke one of their captors if given the chance. Or him. A worrying thought, that, and one that the other man appeared to be considering despite the fact that Doflamingo needed him alive to swap his and Luffy's bodies back.

"Do you think I would be just sitting here if they weren't?" Doflamingo grumbled irritably. "I would have shaken your pathetic body awake if I had the energy to do so." Doflamingo turned an irate glare on Kidd. "Why the hell did they take the handcuffs off of you?"

"Dunno. Maybe cause I don't have Devil Fruit powers right now?" Kidd said, not as interested in Doflamingo right now as he was the pirate he currently held up against him.

"Change me back, Law." Doflamingo said as he pointedly ignored Kidd as he leered at him mockingly.

"I still couldn't change you back without your body around." Law reminded him, and let out a sigh as he discovered that he was handcuffed as well. Though he vaguely remembered that being done to him before he had passed out. No wonder he felt worse than before. Law was aware of Kidd's presence behind him, but the other man caught him off guard by sneakily kissing the side of his throat. Law immediately elbowed him in the gut, which drew forth a sharp gasp from Kidd. "What did I just tell you?"

"You're no damn fun, Trafalgar. You sure you don't have any interest in your crewmate?" Kidd asked, his voice a little pained from the retaliation that Law had laid on him. "And fuck, that hurt. You do realize that your crewmate's body is still battered as hell, right?"

"That doesn't change the fact that I told you to not do such things in his body. Penguin will not appreciate it, and I doubt that you would approve if he were to do similarly in your body." Law growled in return. Shitty feeling or not, there were some things that the Heart Pirate captain was not going to put up with.

"But it would be my body, wouldn't it?" Kidd paused a moment, obviously thinking, before he said, off handedly, "You know, if you two did it while he was still in my body, that's be kinda hot to watch my own body while it fuc-"

"Shut the hell up, you damn brat!" Doflamingo sniped from where he was seated as he turned his head to glare at the pair of them. Doflamingo's expression became thoughtful. Another weird expression to see on Straw Hat. "But this means that you have met before this island, yes? I suppose you were on Sabaody together fighting with Straw Hat against the marines two years ago." Doflamingo focused on Law, apparently doing some quick thinking over this new piece of information. "Hm, I should have been more cautious. Were you planning on having him take you away from this island?"

Kidd slapped a cuff free hand over Law's mouth as he replied. "That's right, I told ya before I was going to do that, with or without Trafalgar here being fine with it."

Doflamingo lapsed into silence as Law freed himself and dug into Kidd angrily.

"I am not going to be going anywhere with you. Who knows if you'd ever let me back to my crew or not." Law said firmly. He did not need this while still feeling so worn out. The whole point of swapping these idiots bodies around was to get them to lay off of him for a second about who he was going to leave with. Law did not want to think about this right now. Not when they didn't know their captors intentions.

"Having you on my ship 24/7 _does_ sound tempting." Kidd said as he hugged Law to his chest snugly, breathing against the side of the dark haired pirate's neck again. "But having you talk my ear off is a problem. It's too bad that you ended up getting that sea prism stone clip to come off your ear. Then we wouldn't be in this position." Kidd grinned wolfishly. "I wasn't expecting you to do that early this morning, you know. I was kinda surprised that you broke my concentration with that little stunt."

"You are impossible." Law grumbled as he tried and failed to free himself due to how shitty the sea stone cuffs were making him feel. Law somehow found a burst of energy after the other man snuck in a kiss despite Law's earlier protests about doing so with Penguin's body. "What the hell did I just say?" The Heart Pirate snarled as he elbowed Kidd again harshly to make the other man let go with a hiss of pain.

"Shit. Watch where you're poking that bony elbow of yours, asshole." Kidd held still as he made sure that the body he was in didn't sustain injury, and was about to snap at Law again when the dark haired pirate laid backward and across his back.

"Shit. Move your head. It hurts there." Kidd all but whined, as if Law were being the difficult one.

"Do _not_ kiss me again in Penguin's body. Do you know how awkward it'll be if he finds out?" Law demanded, letting himself turn slightly so that he could glare down at the back of Kidd's head.

"Oh come _on._ Your crew practically fawns over you all the damn time. They're certainly overly protective of you anyway. I bet a lot of them would cop a feel if they could." Kidd grumbled into the ground.

Law cuffed the other man over the head without a word. The dark haired pirate felt that none needed to be said in response to that.

"Fufufu. You do realize that some people have captured us and are likely to turn us over to the marines?" Doflamingo asked, torn between amusement and annoyance with what he was witnessing.

"So what? It's not like there are any marines on this island." Kidd said dismissively.

"It is a rather gaudy place, much like yourself Joker." Law added, as he reluctantly moved off of Kidd to let him nurse his bruised chest. "I doubt the marines would have a presence here."

Doflamingo was going to say something snide in return when they all heard voices.

Things rapidly went downhill from there.

"Oh yes, we caught some high bountys. One of 'em doesn't seem to be all that high of a bounty, but I think he's part of one of the other's crew."

"I still can't believe you caught Straw Hat Luffy."

"I know, right? Though I think that Surgeon of Death did something to him. He's acting kind of strange, and he sounds different than what I thought he'd sound like."

The three pirates in the makeshift cage all exchanged alarmed glances, before they caught sight of the people that had come into the clearing.

"Well, now, what do we have here?"

A bad day had begun for them all, as the voice's identity was immediately recognized by the pirates, and the situation couldn't be worse with the impediment of the sea prism stone. The marine that had just come into view was Admiral Kizaru. And behind him were a lot of marines ready to take them away.

"Bet you wish you didn't swap everyone's bodies now. Right, Law?" Doflamingo asked jokingly as he grinned at the sight of the marines. It was clear he wasn't happy, however, being mistaken for Luffy.

Kidd was steadily cursing up a storm under his breath as he held Law tightly, as if to prevent the marines from taking him anywhere.

The Surgeon of Death was stunned, but there was nothing he could do as the marines took them out of the cage and began to usher them back to shore. Law stumbled along, strong enough from the brief bout of unconsciousness to stand on his own, but weakened enough that he didn't have much say in which direction he would go. Law wasn't sure how he felt about Doflamingo having more marines around him, but decided that they figured that 'Straw Hat Luffy' was more of a threat than him, as exhausted as he was and cuffed with sea stone prism. The Heart Pirate captain supposed that, even though it hadn't been outright stated to them, that they were being brought to a marine ship to either be transported back to Impel Down, or to be held elsewhere to be executed at a convenient time.

Kidd, despite the situation, couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Doflamingo giving all the marines around him hell as he lashed out at them in Luffy's body. Kidd would have done similarly if he hadn't been handcuffed out of the blue and had blades up against his throat warning him against doing something similar to Doflamingo. Kidd really didn't like that some of the marines had gone to whisper to Kizaru as they indicated Penguin's body. Kidd tensed when the Admiral glanced at him, before Kizaru muttered something back to the marines near him and waved them off. Before Kidd could give thought to what that was all about, Doflamingo drew his attention again as he managed to get Luffy's body to kick one of the marines a few feet away into a tree, which caused the other marines that were dealing with Doflamingo to be more wary of him. They milled around Doflamingo as they called out to one another.

"Whoa! Hold him still, Straw Hat's still got a lot of fight in him!"

"Watch out, those kicks hurt!"

"Even with the sea stone?"

"I'll kill you all!" Doflamingo snarled as he tried to take out the marines nearest to him. He failed terribly and only had more restraints put on him to move him along with minimum fuss. It didn't stop Doflamingo from continuing to show his displeasure about being treated in such a way, though he had stopped talking and was currently trying his damndest to bull rush the nearest marines so he could get some slack in the restraints. It didn't work very well either, as tethered as Doflamingo was now. But all the while the glasses remained in place, though no one gave it much thought as to why they were there in the first place as they steered Luffy's body toward the now in view docks.

"You there! Take half the force and check the rest of the island for Straw Hat's crew, and Trafalgar Law's. Take them into custody if you find them."

Law watched marines disperse back the way they'd come, and felt that while he had been resistant to Kidd's offer to 'kidnap' him and take him back to his ship and away from Doflamingo, that perhaps he should have swallowed his pride and allowed the red haired captain to do so. It was a much more attractive offer now than what was currently happening to them.

The dark haired doctor eyed the marine ship with trepidation, though now that he realized fully what was happening and what could happen, he too joined in on trying to resist. It did just about as much good as Doflamingo's tries, and both he and Doflamingo were forcefully dragged onto the marine ship before they could put up any more attempts at resistance.

Kidd was about to be brought onto the ship as well by the marines that were menacing him along when Kizaru held out a hand to stop them.

"Keep him separate from the other two. We're going to put a call in to the Celestial Dragons and see if this is one of those 'workers' they were yammering on about some years back that put a hamper on one of their constructions by taking out the other 'workers' and the people that were there overseeing things."

"Sir!"

Well fuck, that wasn't something that Kidd expected, and again wondered where the hell Law had picked Penguin up from.

And why.

At the very least, Penguin being a former slave (Kidd scoffed at the term 'worker') might explain some of the violent outbursts that Kidd had witnessed. He figured most people that got out of that kind of life would have had to be hardy to survive such brutal conditions. Kidd didn't bother trying to escape anymore once he was on the ship. Not to mention he still had a blade to his throat until he was put in a separate cell across from Doflamingo and Law. As soon as the marines left them, Kidd immediately put the question to the dark haired man.

"So, Trafalgar, why the fuck do you have a former slave on your crew that those pompous Celestial Dragon assholes are looking for?" Kidd didn't expect to see the color drain from Law's face.

"How...where did you hear that?" Law asked, his tone clear that he didn't like Penguin to be referred as such.

"The marines. Why the fuck do you think they put me in a different cell?" Kidd muttered in return crossly.

"You have to get off the ship." Law insisted, as he looked around desperately as if to locate some means of escape. "They want to kill Penguin for what he did all those years ago. He doesn't talk about it much anymore, but I know that Penguin was still worried that they might locate him after all these years."

Kidd looked around the cell he was in, and highly doubted there was any escape right now. Which meant that he was fucked, and all because Law had decided to swap their bodies and throw them all off their game by placing them in bodies they didn't know what to do with.

Doflamingo had started to laugh as if he found the whole situation highly entertaining.

"Shut the hell up, asshole! They're probably gonna execute you cause they think you're Straw Hat!" Kidd snarled, pleased when it got Doflamingo to stop laughing as a peculiar look of dawning realization crossed the other's face.

"Shit."

-x-

Back on Fiesta Island, opposite of where the marine ship was anchored, Zoro paused in his run as he glanced around. He was now alone, as the green haired swordsman had defeated many of his attackers as he'd went along, and none of them had been able to put up much of a fight. Zoro shook his head before he turned back and headed for the center of the island, muttering under his breath as he went.

"Where the hell did everyone else go? Did they get lost or something?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally caught up to where the fic is on ffn. And yes, last June was when I last updated it. However, recently I was able to get back into the swing of things, so I'll actually be doing an update either tomorrow or the next day (hopefully-so long as editing goes well).

There were a heap of unconscious bodies that now littered the streets after Penguin and Luffy had gone through them on their way to find Kidd, Law and Doflamingo.

"Are there any more of them?" Luffy asked as he relaxed his stance. He couldn't quite figure out how to use Doflamingo's power to stop people in their tracks. But he didn't want to cut them to pieces by accident either. So, Luffy had decided to punch and kick the enemies around him as he would in his own body. The difference in power was obvious, and Luffy looked around at all the groaning and unconscious bodies around them.

"I think you took care of them all." Penguin responded as he tried out Kidd's powers. He made a piece of a broken blade hover over his right palm. "I wonder why they were trying to capture us."

Luffy wasn't paying attention as he was currently crouched to prod the bodies on the ground in an attempt to find one that was still conscious. Or perhaps he was just checking to see how punching and kicking people in Doflamingo's body compared to his own.

"Straw Hat." Penguin said firmly, though he wasn't sure he had made himself clear because the other pirate seemed distracted.

"Yeah?" Luffy lifted his head from what he was doing, and it struck Penguin as odd to have Doflamingo's expression be one of puzzlement.

"We need to go and find-" Penguin cut himself off as he caught sight of Nami, Franky and Sanji, as well as Bepo and Shachi run around the corner of the building, and almost right into them. Interestingly enough, Penguin saw Kidd's crew mate Killer turn around the corner not a moment later, and he wasn't sure if the head shake the long haired pirate made was in relief or exasperation.

"Oh, Nami, Franky, Sanji! Hi!" Luffy said immediately, not giving thought to his appearance at all as he waved to his friends.

The three other Straw Hat Pirates all looked at one another, before they all grew uneasy.

"It sounds like Luffy…" Sanji said as he lit a cigarette. "I guess Law is responsible, but why would he bother swapping Luffy's body? Aren't we still allies?"

"That's a problem, but there's a bigger one now." The orange haired navigator clearly didn't like the sight of her captain in Doflamingo's body, but turned her attention on him anyway. "We need to get off this island, Luffy. There are a lot of marines."

"There is a navy admiral here as well." Killer added as he approached Penguin. "I was looking for my captain as soon as I heard the explosions and fighting." He didn't sound pleased to have to run all over to locate Kidd because his red haired captain had run off with Law out of the inn and left his crew behind.

"A navy admiral?" Nami abruptly turned to Luffy. "We need to leave. Now."

"I guess I do want to get my body back soon. Mingo's too tall." Luffy waved a hand and Doflamingo's body jerked as if it had caught something in the air. "Oh, I hit the clouds again!" Luffy tugged his hand again to free the strings and accidentally took a corner of the nearby building off. Luffy frowned at his hand before he perked up at the sound of a transponder snail went off.

"Hello?" Nami tried to put aside the idea of a navy admiral, and which one it was, that could be on the island.

' _The navy has Luffy, Law and his crewmate on their ship! They're sailing away right now!'_ Usopp's voice was frantic and full of disbelief.

"Ah! Body come back!" Luffy shouted as he started to turn in the direction of the shoreline, only to have Franky and Sanji stop him.

' _Was that Luffy?'_ Usopp sounded confused now.

"Yes, it was. Law swapped Luffy and Doflamingo's bodies." Nami informed her crewmate. "We need to be ready to sail when we get back to the ship."

' _Er…right. The navy is attacking us, but it is more like they're trying to stop us from following them.'_

"That would make sense since they think that they have Luffy. We'll be there soon." Nami hung up and caught sight of Luffy as he attempted to get the former warlord's large frame to go into the sky. Nami sighed heavily in exasperation. "Luffy, you don't know Doflamongo's powers well enough to give chase to them through the sky. We need to go now, before the navy gets too far away." Nami said after she handed the slumbering transponder snail over to Franky, who had held out a hand for it.

"Right!"

"Young master! The navy is here! We should…" Diamante, who had been the one to call out to Luffy, paused as he realized that something was wrong. "What are you doing with our enemies?"

"They aren't my enemies." Seeing the confused looks on the faces of Doflamingo's crew, Luffy picked his nose and added. "I'm Luffy."

Diamante and the others of Doflamingo's family looked utterly baffled as well as put off at the sight. Perhaps because Doflamingo himself never would have dared to pick his nose, in public or otherwise.

"Law swapped Luffy and Doflamingo's bodies with his Devil Fruit powers." Nami said impatiently. "And Law is currently on a navy ship with Doflamingo, who is in Luffy's body, and both of them are getting farther away the longer we delay." At this point she didn't care that they were enemies. She just wanted to get her captain's body back so something didn't happen to it.

"Everyone back to the ship!" Diamante shouted, and suddenly there was a lot of activity as Doflamingo's crew raced off.

"Luffy!" Nami shouted as she realized that her captain wasn't standing there anymore. She looked around and then after Doflamingo's crew and realized that they had taken Luffy along despite his protests.

"Hey, my ship is that way!" Luffy protested.

"We need Doffy's body so that we can have Law switch him and you back." Diamante responded.

"Eh? We can do that after we beat the marines up." Luffy said, and it was clear that he was not happy that someone was trying to separate him from his friends.

"Our ship is faster than yours!"

"No, it's not! The Sunny's the fastest!" Luffy turned his head as he was being ushered along, since it appeared that he was having a change in plans. "Nami! Follow that ship and get Law back!"

Nami groaned at the headache that was soon to occur now that they had to give chase to a navy admiral's ship. The orange haired woman waved Sanji off as she turned to Franky. "Is the Sunny ready for another fight?" Nami wasn't so sure because there had been damage to the ship from when Doflamingo had attacked before, and the navy right after that.

"She's _super_ ready." Franky struck a pose. "I upgraded her during some down time. The Sunny will take less damage in battles now."

Penguin tried to follow after Luffy as Doflamingo's crew vanished around a building, but Killer blocked his path.

"Where are you going, Kidd?"

"I'm not your captain. _My_ captain switched my body and Kidd's." Penguin said as he frowned at the blond haired pirate. "My original body is still injured, and I am guessing that if Doflamingo was captured in Luffy's body, that Kidd was also captured in addition to Law. All three of them were separated from us in a blast from our attackers earlier."

"…It's strange to see Kidd look so thoughtful." Killer said after a brief moment of silence, clearly taking the bizarre change in stride.

Penguin gave Killer a dark look for such a trivial thing, as he felt that Kidd's crewmate should have been more concerned about what was happening to the others being taken away from them by marines.

"That's better."

Penguin followed after Killer without complaint, but only after the Kidd pirate had agreed to let Bepo and Shachi come along. Penguin was calm enough as he reached Kidd's ship, until one thought settled in. It was all it took for him to feel sick to his stomach at the implications if noticed.

"Penguin? Are you all right?" Shachi questioned.

Penguin gave a shake of his temporary body's head. "No, but since there's nothing that can be done about it right now, leave it. Our priority should be finding the captain." Penguin followed his crewmates onto Kidd's ship, as a troubling thought took root in his mind.

What if the marines recognized Kidd in his body? Penguin wasn't sure if the marines were still after him for what he had done some years previous before joining Law's crew, but if what Doflamingo had threatened some weeks ago had any truth to it, then Doflamingo wasn't the only one in trouble in another body.

Kidd was too.

-x-

Kidd was sick and tired of Law's near constant insistence that he needed to get off the marine ship as soon as he possibly could. And it didn't help that Doflamingo was back to being amused by the whole situation, and was poking fun at Law and Kidd.

"It's too bad that you didn't just leave the island quietly, Law." Doflamingo said as he settled against the back of the cell he was in. "None of this would have happened and we would be long gone from the navy's sight."

Kidd still found it weird as hell that Doflamingo had Luffy's body wearing those weird shades but the unsettling smile was the worst. It wasn't the kind of smile he expected to see from Straw Hat.

"Eustass-ya, don't just sit there. Try and find a way out." Law said again after completely ignoring Doflamingo's words. "You do not want the navy to hand you over to the Celestial Dragons."

"I kinda get the idea that would be bad, but unless you're somehow gonna slice the ship in two, there doesn't seem to be a way out." Kidd said in return. It was frustrating that he was in Law's crewmate's body, because if he had been in his own, he might have been able to bust a hole in the side of the ship with his powers. Unless the navy had decided to shackle him and the outcome would still be all three of them being dragged off to who the hell knew where.

Well, other than the fact that there wouldn't be the looming threat of being handed off to assholes who thought they were above everyone else.

"Didn't you say you used to be a Celestial Dragon, Joker-ya?" Law asked suddenly.

"I don't see how it matters as 'used to be' means former, and therefore there is no power to be gained from claiming to be one." Doflamingo said, after a moment of studying Law.

"That wasn't what I asked." Law said. "I just wanted to confirm that you used to be one."

"I don't see why it matters." Doflamingo grumbled. "I did say so before, didn't I?"

"How soon do you think they would be able to show up in any given spot in the New World?" Law asked, casting a quick glance Kidd's way.

Doflamingo cracked up at that, and the laughter coming out of Luffy's body seemed very wrong. "Why would they bother showing up themselves? The navy will just deliver your crewmate's body to their door. Why work for something when you expect others to give to you?"

"I knew they were lazy ass bastards. No wonder Straw Hat and his crew clocked them so quickly in Sabaody." Kidd commented, grinning in amusement.

"Don't make that expression with Penguin's face." Law demanded. "And those people were only one family and I don't think they were the ones that Penguin angered. It had to be another family, because they didn't react to anyone in that auction house."

"You never know, it could have been them. They wouldn't have looked too hard at the peasants." Doflamingo said, still entertained by the whole conversation.

Law gave Doflamingo a nasty look. "You should be more concerned about the fact that the marines and the government are going to have a field day thinking that they have captured Straw Hat Luffy. I wouldn't be surprised if they make a big deal out of it and announce your execution."

Doflamingo's smile vanished.

Law wasn't sure which expression on Luffy's face was worse, but he forced himself to turn his attention to Kidd again. "Look around the cell one more time. I don't know how long it will be before they put you in another ship. I doubt we're going to the same location together."

"Fine, fine, I'll look." Kidd said. "But don't be surprised if there isn't anything."

"Try kicking the walls too." Law said.

Kidd rolled his eyes and sighed heavily in exasperation. "I'll try not to make your crewmate's body fall to pieces because I think I can kick harder than he does."

"It's his body, so it'll be about the same." Law pointed out.

"Fuck you." Kidd said as he started to pace the small cell again.

"You did that yesterday but most unfortunately, you can't repeat that performance while you're in my crewmate's body." Law said dryly.

"Ah, c'mon, I bet you fantasied at least once about having a threesome." Kidd said as he started to kick a particular spot on the wall.

"If you weren't in Penguin's body, I would find a way to beat you." Law said coldly.

"Love you too. Now shut up and let me look around." Kidd said distractedly as he started to kick the same lower wall that he'd just previously kicked. "And don't tell me to not tell you what to do. You do realize you're going a little crazy, right?"

"I am perfectly sane." Law said tartly.

"Both of you could shut up and that would be very useful." Doflamingo cut in.

"Fuck off." Kidd growled as he kicked the spot again, and it gave way.

Law ignored Doflamingo again and gripped the bars of the cell he was in despite the pull on his wrists from the cuffs and the fact that the bars were made of sea stone. "Can you get out that way?"

Kidd kicked the spot a few more times before he lowered himself to the ground and took a peek. "…yeah, I think so."

"Then go, quickly, before they come back." Law said as he turned his eyes on the nearby stairs as if the marines would show up that very instant.

"Like hell I'm gonna just go and leave you here. I said I was gonna kidnap you and that still stands." Kidd said as he tested to see how easily he could fit Penguin's body through the hole he'd made.

"No, you are going to go and meet up with my crew, Straw Hat's and yours." Law said firmly. "The more of you there are, the better chance we have to get out. If you try now, you'll likely just be recaptured."

Kidd would have argued some more had footsteps not been audible, as well as the voices that accompanied them that let Kidd know that Law was right.

"You captured him?"

"That slave that killed all those workers and guards years ago? Yeah."

"Where had he been hiding out?"

"With pirates."

"I'm not surprised, I guess. Might as well get this over with and send him on his way before we get any more complaints about taking too long."

"Eustass-ya, go." Law hissed, as he moved away from the bars of his cell and settled on the ground.

Kidd hesitated for a moment before he squeezed through the hole that he had made, and started to make his way along the thin wall that was there. Fervently, he hoped that the marines weren't just going to randomly start shooting holes into the walls of the ship in an attempt to locate him. But from the raised voices, that wasn't out of the question.

"Where did he go?"

"The other two are still here."

"Hey, the wall is caved in."

"Someone get in there and go capture him before he gets too far! The Celestial Dragons won't like to hear that he escaped just as we were bringing him in."

"Sir!"

Kidd moved as quickly as he could in the darkened space and cursed his luck when Penguin's body decided to give out on him. It really just wasn't his day with all that was going on, and if Kidd couldn't haul ass out from where he was currently, he was going to be caught. "Dammit." Kidd hissed under his breath as he got Penguin's body, his, whatever, to his hands and feet. He couldn't delay. He'd only gotten a bit of a head start and he needed to keep that distance. He had no excuse to not get out of there.

"I think I see him!"

"Shit." Kidd said as he rose and blindly moved forward in the dark. He didn't get far because one of the assholes chasing him shot him in the fucking leg. Kidd collapsed again with a curse, but since he wasn't in his body, he wasn't going to try too hard to continue on. Mostly because he had no Devil Fruit power to aid him.

"Did you get him?"

"I think so. It's hard to tell because it's so dark."

Kidd pressed Penguin's body against the side of the small space and thought himself incredibly fortunate to avoid detection because the fools hadn't brought a light source. His luck might be turning around.

And then there was a large blast at close range and Kidd was nearly knocked unconscious as he fell through the hole that was suddenly in the side of the ship.

"Idiot! I told you to capture him, not kill him."

Kidd agreed with the scolding voice but it didn't help much because he was still falling into the sea beneath him. Kidd hit the water and flailed for a moment, utterly disoriented, and found that he wasn't quite as down and out as he had thought he was. But the shot to the leg still hurt like hell and Kidd couldn't do much but flail around despite the fact that Penguin wasn't a Devil Fruit user and he should be able to swim. Kidd surfaced with a gasp and heard people on the marine ship clamoring and arguing amongst themselves by the hole that had been made in the ship. Kidd immediately tried to swim away, but he didn't get far because a few of the bolder marines braced the potential sea kings in the water to capture him.

So much for Law's hope that Kidd could get Penguin' body away from the marines.

Kidd really missed his powers. He would have beaten the shit out of them all and been on his way with Law by now if he had been in his own body. Kidd's sour mood wasn't improved when he was hauled back aboard the marine ship, a different one, and was locked in one of the navy's upper cabins. Kidd would have laughed at the sight of one of the marine medics treating his leg wound, mainly because he was being pinned down by two of the marines that had jumped into the sea after him.

The treatment was done and Kidd was bandaged and declared fine with rest as the two marines brought him to another cabin and set him up on the bed. Even if they left Kidd's hands cuffed behind his back. Kidd let out an irritated sigh and wondered if Law knew that he had been recaptured and was now on another ship, as the dark haired pirate had feared would happen.

"You captain seems like a nice person. I wonder why he is a pirate." One of the marines commented as she plopped down onto a chair in the cabin.

"You are one of his crew, aren’t you?" The other marine asked, as he sat down on another chair similarly. He indicated the outfit that Penguin's body had on with a wave of his hand. "You have the same insignia on."

Kidd was silent, not sure exactly what to say or why these two marines were suddenly deciding to be chatty with him. It was suspicious.

The other marine eyed her companion before she frowned a little. "I thought pirates were supposed to be loyal to their captains, but I guess not?"

"Or maybe his captain told him to go do something." The male marine said.

"This guy seems too nice..." The female marine began.

"...to be a murderer like the reports say?" The male marine finished.

"Is this some new kind of marine torture technique?" Kidd ventured after a moment of staring hard at the two short, brunette haired marines.

The two marines looked a little embarrassed. "We have been told to tone down the whole finishing each other's sentences thing."

"But it can be amusing." The male marine grinned. "I'm Mac and she's Jen. We're twins."

Kidd figured these marines had to be new or they wouldn't go volunteering their names. Kidd felt that a nap sounded great but with these two he doubted he would be getting any decent rest. However, he saw an opportunity to get some information, and went with it for now. "So what, the marines are now keeping an eye on prisoners instead of just locking them up?"

"You already escaped once." Jen pointed out.

"We're supposed to make sure you don't try again." Mac added.

Great. Just what Kidd didn't need. A double teaming of marines who were obviously quite happy to do their job. But the longer they yammered between one another about pirates and the Celestial Dragons and such, Kidd wondered if he might not be able to manipulate the situation at some point. It would work out in the end, but not before Kidd found himself in danger again. And this time around, Kidd would have no one but himself to blame for the situation.

All that Kidd knew at that moment with those chatty twins irritating the hell out of him was that he wanted to clock someone for this insult of mistaken identity. Kidd was definitely going to find a fitting way to get back at Law for this.

-x-

Zoro looked around the ship that he was on and all the marines that were milling about. He crossed his arms, one hand loosely gripping a katana. "This isn't the Sunny." All the green haired swordsman had done was board a ship as he avoided a cluster of marines, but apparently he'd made a mistake and had gone south instead of north. Zoro figured that Usopp must have given him the wrong directions when he'd spoken to him with the transponder snail.

"Carlos said he saw a pirate sneak on board."

"A stowaway?"

"Find him before he helps Straw Hat and Law escape!"

Zoro leaned back into the shadows and watched the marines quietly. It didn't seem like any of them had sensed him yet, which meant that perhaps the admiral that he had caught sight of before was not on board this particular marine ship. Or if he was, he was being ignored. The green haired swordsman noticed a ship sailing after this one in the distance and recognized it as the Thousand Sunny. Zoro smiled. He figured that he could create a diversion to allow his crewmates to catch up, as that was what it sounded like the plan had been.

It seemed that getting on the wrong ship this time around worked in his favor.


	18. Chapter 18

Law had heard the lone explosion that had come suspiciously close to where Kidd had vanished from the cell. The Heart Pirate captain could only hope that Kidd had managed to avoid the blast, because Law couldn't stand to think about even more injuries piling up on Penguin's already wounded body. Law's anxiety over the fact that the marines had not yet brought Kidd back was taken advantage of by Doflamingo, who had taken to leering at Law for the past hour or so.

It disturbed Law greatly to be looked at in such a way by Luffy even though he knew that it was Doflamingo. The shades perched on the bridge of Straw Hat's nose made it easier to make the distinction.

It had been eerily silent after the blast, and no marines had come, which Doflamingo took as an opportunity to taunt Law.

"It seems like he didn't get away like you wanted him to." Doflamingo commented as he rested Luffy's back against the side of the cell he was in.

"He could have gotten away. Penguin had no Devil Fruit powers, and unless Eustass-ya ate his own Fruit when younger, he should at least have an idea of how to swim." Law countered, trying his best to prevent Doflamingo from riling him up.

"Wasn't that a gunshot earlier, before that explosion?" Doflamingo returned smoothly. "If he was wounded, I doubt that explosion would have done anything to his continued well-being." A grin stretched Luffy's lips as Doflamingo added carelessly. "Perhaps it killed him. Wouldn't that be convenient? Then your crewmate could be stuck in Eustass Kidd's body, and then you'd have to decide whether to let him play as a captain with that crew or get everyone up in arms over the idea of one captain going to work for another. Or…"

"He's not dead." Law said flatly, not willing to believe it for a moment. "I believe the marines would have come here to comment on that, and to warn us after delivering the news that we should give up on any escape attempts ourselves."

"Are you sure that isn't something you are thinking of that perhaps you should have done?" Doflamingo cut in.

Before Law could respond, the ship around them was shaken back and forth violently and from the sound of it, was struck by cannon fire. Much different from the explosion that had gone off earlier. Law was grateful that the blasts didn't reach him, as he couldn't do anything to protect himself.

Doflamingo, meanwhile, was having a good laugh at the thought of an attack.

"Fools. Do they intend to sink the ship with us in it?" Doflamingo shook Luffy's head even as a sneer crossed his face. "If this is your crew or Straw Hat Luffy's idea of a rescue, they are insane. My crew wouldn't even bother with cannon fire. They'd have perhaps let loose one or two shots before they would have come on board and slaughtered everyone before coming down here."

Two marines tumbled down a set of stairs that led to the cell, groaning and injured.

Doflamingo and Law turned to look at the marines, before the green haired swordsman, Zoro, appeared at the bottom of the stairs, looking around for any other enemies. Seeing none, he turned his attention to Law and Doflamingo. Zoro had a faint smile hovering around his lips at the sight of Luffy wearing shades, and called him on it. "What're you wearing those shades for, Luffy? Trying to be that warlord?"

"I am Doflamingo." Doflamingo said, motioning to the Heart Pirate captain with shackled limbs. "Law decided it would be a good idea to swap your captain and my bodies, which resulted in us being captured."

Zoro seemed to understand and he glanced over at Law for confirmation.

"I had a headache and all of their chatter was making it worse." Law said by way of an explanation.

Zoro appeared to take that for what it was, and used his blades to slice the bars of the cells open, and to remove the cuffs.

Law managed to not flinch at the keen blade slicing within less than an inch from his skin. A soon as Doflamingo had been freed, he closed in on Law, and despite being several inches shorter, Doflamingo still was able to loom before Law menacingly as he spoke tersely.

"You will put me back into my own body."

"I can't do it without Straw Hat-ya around. But if I do…you will leave me be while I rescue Eustass-ya."

Luffy's features reflected Doflamingo's reluctance to let Law slip away so easily, and beckoned the Heart Pirate out of earshot from Zoro as he spoke in a low whisper.

"I will give you three days to find him then. Three days to prevent him from being handed over to the Celestial Dragons. At that point, you will meet me at Fang Island. It is a port for pirates between Fiesta Island and Damper Creek Hallow."

Law hesitated only for a brief moment. His desire to make sure that Kidd wasn't handed off in Penguin's body to suffer at the hand of the celestial Dragons was greater than escaping Doflamingo's clutches at this point in time. Law took a deep breath before he let it out and inclined his head in understanding. "I'll do that."

Doflamingo smiled grimly, the look rather off-putting on Luffy's face, coupled with the shades. "You had better show, Law, or I will kill that crewmate of yours as soon as I could track you down if you have lied to me about coming to Fang Island." Doflamingo turned away and headed for the stairwell to the upper decks, tossing out another threat over his shoulder. "And perhaps, while I am at it, I will kill Eustass Kidd as well."

Law met Zoro at the base of the stairs, and could only shake his head wordlessly at the green haired swordsman's questioning stare.

Above deck, the marines who had been escorting them to who knows where were lying on the desk in various states, from unconscious to heavily wounded. Only one remained, disarmed and tied to a mast, and looking clearly unhappy at being surrounded by so many pirates.

Luffy also happened to be on deck, having come over from Doflamingo's ship to join in on the rescue. Luffy brightened immediately upon seeing Law, and waved at the Surgeon of Death enthusiastically.

"Hey, Tra-guy! You're all right!"

Law was greatly disturbed to see such a look on Doflamingo's face without shades on. But hadn't Luffy been wearing them? Perhaps he had taken them off at some point between here and Fiesta Island. Not that it mattered so much, but Law couldn't help but smirk at the sight of Doflamingo himself clearly finding the sight unwelcoming as well, as he prowled forward and almost got in Law's face as he grit out irritably.

"Change us back."

"Our agreement?" Law asked, wanting to make sure he wasn't being duped.

"It will be held, even though I shouldn't grant you it in the first place after all that's happened." Doflamingo said spitefully.

Law would take that as a yes, no matter how displeased Doflamingo was about it. Law raised his hand and twisted them sharply with a muttered word.

Luffy, still standing next to Law, removed the shades and then immediately grinned at the Heart Pirate captain. "That was awesome! Can you do that again with one of my friends?"

Doflamingo loomed over Luffy and Law, and plucked his shades from the straw hat captain, and after fussily getting the shades back in their proper place, haughtily turned his head to survey Law. The act was accompanied by a nasty smile, as if Doflamingo were thinking of something unpleasant to do to Law now that he was back in his own body.

"Three days." Law reminded the older pirate in a deadpan voice.

"Hey!" Luffy exclaimed after Doflamingo had struck Law backward with a five color string attack. Luffy pulled up short of throwing a punch at Doflamingo when Law's arm suddenly blocked his path. The Straw Hat captain wore an unhappy look, as if he'd have liked nothing more than to clock Doflamingo for hurting one of his friends right in front of him.

"Three days, Law. No more." After speaking his piece with a painful slash across Law's upper arm that had him staggering backward, Doflamingo used his powers to maneuver himself away from the marine ship, and back over to his own ship and crew. The blond's voice reached Law as Doflamingo called out to him across the distance. "Don't be late, or I will make good on my other promise!"

There was a brief silence as Doflamingo's ship sailed away, before everyone present relaxed.

"Hey, Tra-guy. What was Mingo talking about?" Luffy asked curiously.

"It was nothing." Law said evasively as he shook his head and avoided the eyes of the others of the Straw Hat crew. "In any case, I need to find Eustass-ya. He appears to other people as one of my crewmates to the marines, remember? They've found out who my crewmate was, and they likely have him on board another marine ship."

"There was another ship sailing farther ahead." Nami commented from where she was hauling up a small bag of treasure she'd found.

"They took one of your crew?" Luffy asked, looking affronted at the thought, as if it were terrible of the marines to do that.

Law nodded. "I need to go get him before they hand him over to the Celestial Dragons." It wasn't much use reminding Luffy that he'd swapped Penguin's and Kidd's personalities. Instead, Law focused on what he needed to do to find and get to Kidd. "I'm going to go over and speak to Eustass-ya's crew. We may need help." Law warped over to the other ship without waiting to hear a response. Besides, Law figured that with the way Luffy and some of his crew were heckling Carlos the marine tied to the mast, they would find out the other marine ship's destination soon enough.

Three days…

As the Heart Pirate headed over to meet Killer, Law hoped it wouldn't take more than three days and trusted, to an extent, that Kidd could fend for himself until then, and keep Penguin's body intact. Now more than ever the Heat Pirate captain regretted his rash decision to swap everyone's personalities. Not because he wanted Penguin in Kidd's place, but because they might have been able to avoid capture altogether had Law not confused everyone by shifting bodies and confusing all of them over their powers and limitations.

-x-

Kidd wanted to kill someone, but that wasn't an option at present. Though he felt that things could have been worse than they turned out to be. If nothing else, he found that he couldn't help but be amused by the brunette haired marine twins, Mac and Jen.

This tolerance was mainly because Kidd found, the longer he was around the two marine, that they acted much more like pirates and not the naval officers they dressed as. It was as if the twins had gotten on the wrong ship and had just decided to roll with it even if they weren't like any marines Kidd had come across before. Though Kidd usually got into fights; not conversation, so he could be a little biased. Kidd finally couldn't take all the mindless chatter and had to say something, before he was tempted to blow up at the two marines and ruin his chance to perhaps convince them to free him. Because they were way too easygoing and had to be new to the marines. Any of the other ones Kidd had seen aboard this ship would never have been so open like these two were.

"You two sure don't act like marines. You remind me more of pirates." Kidd interrupted as he carefully eased Penguin's wounded yet thankfully treated right leg to a more comfortable position. "You're way too talkative around me. Seeing as I am a pirate and all."

This announcement prompted the twins to crack up, laughing merrily at the very idea.

Kidd wondered if that was a stupid thing to stay, before he was hiding a grin from the response.

He couldn't believe his luck. Maybe an easy escape wouldn't be out of the question.

"We totally wanted to be pirates when we were younger." Mac agreed, slapping his sister lightly on the shoulder. "Didn't we, sis?"

"We did, with all the talking we did with pirates who came to our hometown to stock up." Jen said with a nod. "But our parents forbade us from that lifestyle, so the only way we could go out to sea was to become marines." Jen shooed her brother's hand away from her shoulder and flashed a mischievous smile Kidd's way. "But I think our mom was just worried we'd end up ruffians since me and Mac always got into trouble at home. Set the house on fire once."

Kid was annoyed that, somewhere along the way through the twin's chatter and his occasional grunt of input, and now, the pirate comment and a little backstory, that he appeared to have somehow made friends with the marines. They were certainly being friendly enough with the way that they were seated side by side on the bed he was on, instead of standing or on one of the chairs in the small room like they were before.

This friendliness toward him could prove useful in the near future, so Kidd continued to keep at it, even though he knew full well that these two marines would have been dead had he had his real body and access to his Devil Fruit powers. As such, Kidd was smart enough to use any opportunity when it was so conveniently presented to him. Though Kidd knew better than to think he could get Jen or Mac to release him right this instance. They were still marines; enemies. But if he could get them to like him, or rather, his outward appearance as one of Law's crewmates, he might be able to catch the marine twins off guard and get them to slip up and free him. It would come later, or so was Kidd's hope.

Again, Kidd cursed the fact that he wasn't in his own body, but between his arms cuffed behind his back and Penguin's body fatigued and still recovering from previously inflicted injuries, Kidd knew, much to his displeasure and ire, that there was no way for him to fight his way out of this predicament at present.

"It would be awesome to do whatever you want as pirates." Mac was chattering away, unaware of Kidd only barely tuning in to his words.

"It would!" Jen agreed, a little frown crossing her face. "But then we'd have to fight our former comrades if we came across them."

"That wouldn't be much fun." Mac said with a sigh.

"But it would be cool, sailing wherever we want to go." Jen said with a little smile.

"It would, sis." Mac sounded enthused by the idea of going anywhere in the world. The brunette haired marine turned to Kidd, both he and his sister wide eyed with excitement. "What's it like, being a pirate?"

"Does Trafalgar Law really cut out people's hearts from their chest?" Jen chimed in, going a little off-topic.

Not that there was really one to begin with.

Kidd allowed himself a smile. Oh, he was so going to give Trafalgar shit in any way he could, but in this one case, he supposed he could make the Surgeon of Death's reputation remain a little bloodthirsty. Because Kidd knew that Law could harmlessly pop someone's heart out without killing them, but these two marines clearly had no idea and had only heard the rumors.

Probably the little tale of how Law became warlord of the sea two years previously.

So Kidd made up the most horrible thing imaginable. That Law would carve out people's hearts with blade in hand and deliver them to other people who didn't take his warning as seriously as they ought to have. Kidd did, as an addendum, say that Law only did it to people who deserved it. Which he figured was something Law would do. Kidd, however, was not such a saint, and decided to take a moment to brag about himself, because why the hell not?

"You know who Eustass Kidd is, right?"

The twin's expressions changed and they edged closer as if Kidd were about to tell them an even more harrowing tale.

"Yeah! That he kills anyone that gets in his way. Even entire towns and cities. Not even civilians get out unscathed." Mac said in a hushed tone, as if speaking about Kidd might bring him there.

Kidd grinned, figured it looked weird on Penguin's face, and gave a little shrug, as if he weren't going to deny or confirm the claim.

"I don't think I would want to run into him as a marine." Jen said nervously.

"Wouldn't probably want to see him as a rival pirate either." Mac joked.

Kidd preened himself just a bit. It was as it should be. He wanted people to know his name and know he would fuck them up if they messed with him. He thought Killer would be proud of him for it, but already he could hear his masked crewmate's voice telling him to get his head out of his ass and make sure he didn't get himself killed in the situation he found himself in.

Kidd scowled a little bit. Damn, Killer could ruin his good mood even when he wasn't there. It was something that he was never going to tell his crewmate, because he knew Killer would take advantage of it and make sure his captain erred on the side of caution, instead of kill it first and ask questions later.

It worked out for Kidd in the past, however, so he saw no reason to change his ways.

Any other way was much too boring.

Destroying things was a hell of a lot of fun. It wasn't his fault people couldn't get out of the way fast enough.

"Well, in any case, your captain still sounds scarier." Mac said after a moment's deliberation.

"Yeah, cutting people's hearts out face to face. I think he's someone I wouldn't want to come across in person either." Jen chimed in.

Dammit.

Kidd bristled at the thought of some random marines thinking more highly of Law's destructive capabilities then his own but the thought of Killer's mental chiding made Kidd focus on what was important right now. At the very least, the quiet made the two marines siblings change topics.

"We're part of the group that's escorting you to a…facility, you know."

"Where you're going to be held until a ship is ready to head on to where the Celestial Dragons are."

Mac and Jen turned to one another, ignoring the sight of Penguin furrowing brow as Kidd processed that new information.

"I don't much like that place."

"Me neither. It makes me unsettled."

"Yeah, and even inside the building you can still hear…"

"…the people crying or screaming outside. The ones working?"

"Working. It's forced labor." Mac scoffed. Even as young as they were, he and Jen knew exactly what was going on. "I don't like it sis."

"I don't either, but we don't get much say in what happens to poisoners."

"I know, but I still don't like it."

"I don't think many of the marines do. Government and all's orders though."

"And the Celestial Dragons."

The twins both went silent.

Kidd was still thinking fast, though he came up empty handed, and when he was urged up of the bed and led along by Mac and Jen out of the room of the ship an hour or so later, Kidd didn't know what he was going to do.

But he wasn't anyone's slave, so he was going to fight whether or not he got himself, and Penguin's body, killed.

It was an insult he refused to let stand as is.

-x-

Kidd didn't get much of a chance to struggle as he was led off of the ship and into a large, sprawling building of a nondescript kind. But Kidd figured it had to be soundproof, otherwise whatever the hell was going on out back or wherever would have been heard very easily.

Kidd was led into the building and down a hall that was heavily guarded, and Kidd cursed internally about how much of a bitch it was going to be trying to make an escape attempt, or for anyone to try and assist him in an escape attempt. Not to mention he was limping because of the bullet wound in Penguin's leg. Kidd glowered at those who patted him down for weapons, and sneered when his hands were uncuffed and then cuffed in front of him instead, but Kidd did thrash and snarl wordless threats when two of the guards fitted a collar around his neck. One that he recognized seeing on Sabaody on slaves.

Son of a _bitch._

Someone was going to pay for this, Kidd thought furiously, as he was dragged along stumbling into a cell and shoved unceremoniously inside. There was nothing in the cell, so Kid took to prowling back and forth, glaring whenever anyone passed by. The marine twins were nowhere in sight, which meant that Kidd had fucked up and had no chance to try and get some inside help to escape. But he had something more important to think about four hours later, when a different group of guards came and forcibly removed him from the cell, and ushered him outside.

It only took a few quick glances of the slaves working in the distance for Kidd's restraint to snap. And whoever had fitted the cuffs to his wrist with the short chain between was an idiot, because they were much more flimsy than the ones he'd been cuffed with on the ship. Kidd saw red when someone dared to whip his across the back with a short crack of pain, and whirled on the one holing the whip.

Kidd was going to kill someone, all right, and there was no one around to stop him.

Neither the marines nor the guards foresaw Kidd being able to snap the chain through sheer fury, and used his newly mobile arms to rush the guard who had whipped him backward, crushing the man against a pillar with a punch and from the sound of a crack, snapping the neck as the man fell lifeless to the ground. Kidd promptly turned his attention to the living, and offered a crazed smile.

These were dead men.

Dead.

It was complete chaos for the next minutes as Kidd stole two blades and made short work of several guards and a few marines, laughing when they tried to get him under control. But he didn't give them a chance to do anything. Kidd was glad of Penguin's more nimble body, as fatigued and wounded in the leg as it was, because Kidd was able to doge attacks he normally would have had to block. Even with the ache in his leg Kidd managed to avoid injury, as fury had overtaken him and dulled his sense of pain. Kidd was so engrossed in carving a path of destruction that he didn't see that one of the people, marine or guard, had managed to sneak up on him.

But Kidd did notice the sharp crack to his skull that ended his rampage, as it sent him down and out in an instant.

-x-

When Kidd woke he found his whole body ached and throbbed, and the only thing Kidd could think of then and there was that Law was probably going to go through on the threat of curing his balls off for letting Penguin's body be harmed. Kidd, his head pounding, decided to just never mention what had happened.

Coughing, Kidd struggled to open his eyes, and when he did he was greeted with a dimly lit room. Brief panic surged through him over the fact that he was submerged to his waist in water, before he remembered that he could, kind of, sort of, swim while he was in Penguin's body. Only his wrists were cuffed over his head, letting some of his weight be held by his wrists, which hurt a fucking lot more with his head already killing him. Kidd let out a shaky breath as he tried his best to hold still, because even the water buffeting him gently sent waves of agony coursing through his borrowed body.

Whoever had hit him over the head had had real good aim. Kidd would have appreciated it had it not been him the person practiced their skill on.

Kidd carefully lifted his head at the sound of a door opening, his jaw setting at the sight of several marines filing in, followed by Admiral Kizaru.

"I thought I told the guards to keep you in a cell until we came to retrieve you."

Kidd said nothing; he didn't doubt it would be a pained wheeze or something, and not words.

Fuck, his head hurt.

"It was their oversight, but I would have expected them to be able to handle one pirate. But it seems your old reputation is still true. The Celestial Dragons really want you back as soon as possible."

Kidd couldn't help but sneer at that.

Kizaru had to have noticed the response, but the marine continued on as if he hadn't. "You'll be staying here until the ship is ready to sail." Admiral Kizaru indicated the marines with him. "These men here will make sure you don't get any funny ideas to pull some similar stunt.

"I'll fucking kill you." Kidd managed to growl lowly. He fell silent at the click of guns being cocked and pointed his way, and decided not to press his luck.

For now, anyway.

"I doubt you'll be able to get free of your current restraints, but these men here will be the ones you meet if you put a foot outside this cell." Kizaru left the room with the other marines, and the door was closed.

Kidd let his head hang as the throbbing in his skull became worse, and let out a disparaging laugh. Penguin's body was not doing well right now, especially with the water buffering him and the cuffs digging into his wrists.

This day was turning out to be very fucked up.

-x-

Kidd wasn't entirely sure how long he had been passed out when the pain had finally overwhelmed him into unconsciousness, but at the sensation of someone holding him up slightly in the water while someone else fiddled with the cuffs around his wrists, Kidd come to reality more quickly. And instantly became alert, wondering how in the fuck he'd gotten people to help him in such a short amount of time. Because Kidd sure as hell recognized the two marines in the cell with him.

Mac and Jen.

The two marine twins from before.

Kidd was surprised they could actually be so quiet when they wouldn't shut the hell up before, and then Kidd realized it was because he had been passed out. Because as soon as the twins saw he was awake they started to chatter, albeit in hushed tones.

"We're going to help you escape." Jen said from where she was carefully unlocking first the cuffs and then the collar around Kidd's neck.

"We saw what happened." Mac added, holding Penguin's body up out of the water as Jen finished with the cuffs and freed Kidd.

The twins both helped maneuver Kidd over onto solid ground, before they were on either side of him and helping Kidd stand on his feet.

"We saw the land the…workers…were on, and we didn't like what we saw."

"We never saw it before, but…"

"It was terrible."

"We can't turn a blind eye to this any longer, so we're helping you get away."

"I've heard the Celestial dragons are worse than those guards." Mac added.

"It was a long time coming…" Jen began as she helped Kid toward the door with her brother's help.

"…But now is as good a time as any to leave the marines." Mac finished for his sister as he opened the door and cautiously peeked out into a hall. "We get into too much trouble already."

Kidd noted that the twins were still in their marine clothing. "If you're leaving, why are you still dressed like that?" It wasn't like Kidd really cared; he actually found it funny as hell that he'd managed to convince two marines to help him of all things. Kidd was more than happy to let these two help him escape. He couldn't care less that they were deserting the marines in the meantime.

"Staying in uniform will help us get out without much suspicion." Jen replied, as she and Mac led Kidd out into the hall.

"Yeah, we'll just pretend we're escorting you to the ship. We were part of that group still, anyway." Mac added with a smile.

"Oh, wait." Jen loosely attached some cuffs around Kidd's wrists again. "Need to make it look convincing."

Kidd was displeased about more cuffs, but if it got him the fuck out of here he didn't care. And as he walked, something more concerning came to light. Penguin's right arm was very heavy and hard for him to move right now. Kidd strained to put the sensation out of mind, as well as the sore leg, as escape was his most important priority right now.

But yet again, Kid's thoughts strayed to Law's reaction to the state of his crewmate's body, and knew beyond a doubt that the other captain would be unhappy to see it had taken more of a beating. But Kid would be quick to point out that it was Law's fault to begin with, swapping bodies as he had on Fiesta Island. Kidd would leave it at that, and leave out the new body count, as both Law and Penguin would not be pleased about that in the least bit.

-x-

Two hours later…

-x-

Kidd was amazed.

That didn't happen often, and the reason for the amazement was that the marine twin's plans of smuggling him out of the building had actually worked. And as an added bonus, Mac and Jen had actually been able to get him to the far side of the island, and onto a beach with the sea stretched out before them. Now, if only Kidd had some way to contact Killer…

"Wow, the sea is so pretty today." Jen commented out of the blue.

Kidd frowned to himself and then turned out the marines and offered what passed as grudging thanks. "You two are devious. Maybe you could be pirates after all."

Mac and Jen beamed at that, clearly excited by the prospect, though before they could bombard him with questions, a familiar voice hailed him.

"Eustass-ya! Why the hell are you out here? I thought you were captured?"

Kidd saw Law striding down he beach, and Kidd couldn't help but find that prowl rather interesting and very attractive. Pissed off Law always looked very appealing. And then Penguin was there, in Kidd's body, and Kidd couldn't help but be amused to see that at the very least, Penguin could pretend he was the other man because of the enraged expression he held on him.

"You're Trafalgar law." Mac said, though his nervous tone was overridden by Jen.

"Your crewmate is really interesting."

Law looked taken aback for a brief moment before he appeared to be bemused. "The person in question is actually a captain" Law indicated Penguin in Kidd's body. "This is who you were really talking to. I used my Devil Fruit to swap their personalities."

"That's right! You have the op op fruit." Jen declared.

"You're Eustass Kidd?" Mac asked Kidd.

"Well, we didn't really give him any chance to explain and just assumed from appearances he worked for Law." Jen informed her brother.

Mac and Jen glanced at one another before they beamed at Kidd like he was the more fascinating person in the word and spoke together. "Awesome."

"That's so bizarre. You're finishing each other's sentences and talking at the same time." Another voice piped up, and Kidd realized that somehow Straw Hat Luffy had tagged along with Law and Penguin.

Penguin completely ignoring Luffy's excited expression at the marine twins being in sync with one another and instead addressed his captain. "Law?"

Kidd moved toward Law as he remembered he was supposed to be irritated with the other captain. "You should change us back now." Kidd leered at both of the Heart Pirates. "Because I think I owe both of you some payback for all this."

-x-

Law looked between his crewmate and Kidd, before he let loose a sigh. He had found Kidd sooner than he would have expected, and that was good, because he could put distance between himself and Doflamingo before the man would realize anything was amiss. Law heard Penguin's soft query and Kid's demand to be changed back, but his gaze lingered briefly on Penguin, as it seemed his crewmate was distracted by the appearance of his body.

Law relaxed a little. The marines appeared harmless and despite telling Straw Hat he could handle this, Luffy had not yet drawn any attention to them on this island. It was all well and good, and now, after he put his crewmate and Kidd back to normal, they could all get out of there. Law raised his hand and swapped Kidd and Penguin's back to their original bodies, but in doing so, he missed the look that crossed Penguin's face, more concerned by his words than posture.

"What did you do to my body?" Penguin's voice was a low, dangerous growl as he faced Kidd sharply.

"Nothin.' The marines did stuff, though. In that building and on the ship before." Kidd said dismissively. Unfortunately, the twins decided to back him up in what they thought was a helpful way, but only caused Penguin to go off the deep end.

"Yeah, some of the guards tried to make him work with the other slaves." Mac supplied. "But he broke free and attacked them instead."

"It was really messy. Killed both guards and marines." Jen added. "So they knocked him out with a strike to the head and then strung him up by his wrists in some water."

Law shot Kidd a warning glare at the red haired captain for giving the marines even more reason to go after his crewmate. "Must you complicate things?"

Penguin didn't even bother with words. He threw himself at the red haired captain instead with a silent snarl.

Kidd blocked the punch with his metal arm, and soon there was debris everywhere as Penguin and Kidd fought one another down the stretch of beach.

"Penguin! Stop! Stand down! We need to leave this place!" Law tried to intervene, but his voice didn't reach his crewmate.

Penguin had given in to the rage he kept bottled up and out of sight, and couldn't see or hear anything but Kidd as he sought to attack the man, despite the state his wounded body was in.

Jen and Mac watched the brawl in fascination, until a group of marines in the distance headed their way, and made themselves scare.

Law was forced to get out of range, and seized Luffy by the arm to prevent him from getting into a fight with the marines as he made one last attempt to get through to his crewmate.

"Penguin!"

Nothing.

Law grit his teeth and held out his left hand at the sight of the marines getting to close for comfort at present. He was still unarmed for the moment. "Room."

"Hey, Tra-guy, let go! I'm gonna kick their asses!"

Law tuned Luffy out and brought the both of them back to the Thousand Sunny.

It seemed like they needed to rethink things, and Law needed to figure out how to calm his crewmate down until enough for Penguin to realize that they needed to escape.

-x-

Kidd had to grudgingly respect Penguin's sudden flurry of punches and kicks and felt that the son of a bitch was pretty strong for being injured and not even a captain like he or Law were. But Kidd, as he blocked another punch, knew that he had nothing to worry about as Penguin couldn't harm him, if he didn't let the man get close enough to let his fingers crush his throat.

All Kidd had to do was wait for Penguin to wear himself out into an exhausted state.

As much as Kidd would have liked to flatten this asshole, the red haired captain couldn't harm Penguin without pissing Law off. And Kidd had plans about getting back at Law, and some of those plans involved a bed, and Kidd would very much like to ensure he didn't get his balls or dick chopped off. Not to mention Kidd wanted to make damn sure that Law stayed the hell away from-

An ominous laugh rang out and suddenly, Penguin and Kidd were caught mid swing in their respective attacks, or defense, in Kidd's case. One look at Penguin's expression said it all.

The two of them were fucked, as reality washed over them and took the rush of battle away.

Doflamingo.

Donquixote fucking Doflamingo had shown up, and as the bastard languidly approached their tethered bodies, the blond haired pirate looked far too pleased with himself.

-x-

Doflamingo circled around the two pirates he had captured with his Devil Fruit, and grinned nastily, "I doubt that Law will have kept his word and come to see me if he had been able to retrieve the two of you. This way, Law will have to come to Fang Island." Doflamingo laughed. "Leverage is a wonderful thing, isn't it?"

"Fuck you." Kid snarled as his Devil Fruit powers flared up to attack.

A large fist ended the fight before it could begin.

Doflamingo let Kidd's unconscious body drop to the sandy beach, before the blond turned his attention to Penguin. "Would you care for similar treatment? Or will you be smart for once?"

Penguin felt Doflamingo's powers leave as it freed his body and allowed for movement. However, the Heart Pirate knew that he stood no chance against Doflamingo, so he just stood here, wearing a frustrated look. This was not good, at all. He'd lost control and was paying for it. Penguin didn't even begin to want to know what this was going to do to Law.

"At least one of you has a brain." Doflamingo mused, before gesturing at Kidd. "Bring him along, or I will drag the both of you."

Penguin wouldn't have cared one whit if Kidd was dragged along, but he knew Law wouldn't like it, for whatever reason, and attempted to get the red haired captain to his feet. It was tough, but Penguin managed it as he levered the two of them up. Penguin was still greatly disturbed by the weakness in his right arm, and his wounded leg but when Doflamingo turned away, and Penguin's hand brushed a pistol in Kid's belt, the Heart Pirate acted on impulse.

Foolish, foolish impulse brought on by the situation and the dire consequences that were sure to follow should Penguin and Kidd be captured.

As much as Penguin disliked striking an opponent from behind, he would not give Doflamingo the courtesy after what he'd done to Law. What he had put him though in the past and in the present. Penguin wouldn't let an opportunity pass him by. The Heart Pirate pulled the pistol free from Kidd's belt and shot Doflamingo in the back without a hint of hesitation.

Satisfaction at seeing Doflamingo stumble was overrode with pain as the blond haired pirate whirled about and slashed Penguin with his Devil Fruit powers, the string landing harshly and cutting painfully into skin.

Penguin collapsed to the sand as Kidd dropped limply along with him.

"You and your captain are fools." Doflamingo's voice was taut. "And I am done with you all looking down on me like you can get away with taking Law with you."

Penguin grimaced briefly from the pain. He _was_ a fool for thinking a pistol shot would end Doflamingo.

"I'm not even sure Law will prove useful alive should he get any ideas from you or Eustass Kidd. I suppose I should be thanking you for making this easier for me." Doflamingo's voice turned harsh. "I'll be sure to kill you in front of your captain this time, so you won't get the chance to slip away to try and help him again."

Penguin felt splitting agony soon after as something connected roughly with his head. He'd thought he heard a crack, and as he began to lose consciousness, the Heart Pirate supposed he was lucky that Doflamingo hadn't crushed his skull outright. The blond haired pirate wouldn't kill him; no, he'd save that for when Law showed up. Penguin knew it from the blond's threat, but knew that Doflamingo would also use him and Kidd to lure Law in, just like before. But this time, Penguin felt he would die and there was nothing that Law could do about it.

Fools…

Doflamingo was right about that, but he was a fool himself to think that Law wouldn't retaliate in some way if Penguin truly did die, and at the blond haired pirate's hands. Not to mention Straw Hat Luffy had declared that he would kick Doflamingo's ass, and the Heart Pirate was certain that Luffy would show up whether Law wanted the other captain to or not.

The only regret Penguin had before fading completely amid Doflamingo's low laugh was that he was only going to bring Law more pain, and all because Penguin had lost control of himself.

The Heart Pirate had realized only when he'd been halted mid attack against Kidd that Law had been calling out to him earlier to stand down, and Penguin hadn't heard him. If anyone was a fool, it was Penguin for not thinking things through in the heat of the moment.

Law was many things, but Penguin knew, when it came down to it, that his captain was no fool.

And Doflamingo would find that out soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated this fic in nearly a year so I'm really happy I was able to get a new chapter out, so now both fics are up to date on this site and ffn (and another chapter should come out much sooner than a year now that I have an outline again). Getting toward the end of the fic, btw.


	19. Chapter 19

Law found it ominous that he could find neither Kidd nor Penguin despite the fact that he knew that he had seen the two men fighting with one another along the coast of the island. The fact that the beach was deserted with no sign of anyone other than the lingering marines, Law knew that it could mean only one thing, and he did not want to think about it or believe it. That both Kidd and Penguin could have been brought down so easily. The Heart Pirate captain gripped the railing of the Thousand Sunny as his eyes roved up and down the beach fruitlessly. Law knew that with every passing moment, the chances of finding what he was looking for dwindled. And that lack of finding what he was looking for likely meant only one thing.

Doflamingo could have come to that island and gotten to Kidd or Penguin. Doflamingo had to have been there one the beach. There was no other explanation of the other two pirate's sudden absences.

Law's grip slackened on the railing as he took a breath and let it out slowly, as the dark haired captain knew that this meant that he would have to go to Fang Island after all. Something he wished to avoid, as Doflamingo was going to be there too. Law felt trapped again, because he didn't want to go to the island as Doflamingo had mentioned, even if that meant that Law was able to find and locate Kid and Penguin. If they weren't on that beach, then Fang Island was sure to be where they had gotten to, despite the Heart Pirate captain not having confirmed the fact one way or another. It was Law's hope that the two had managed to slip away should they have come across Doflamingo.

Law felt that, should he actually come across his crewmate and Kidd in the near future, and perhaps find them still fighting on the beach somewhere, that he wouldn't go to Fang Island. But Law felt there might be no way around it, even with the allies he had, as well as his own crew and perhaps Kid's, but even with a lot of firepower, it wouldn't stop or deter someone like Doflamingo from pursing him should the dark haired pirate not show up as expected. Law's troubling thoughts were interrupted when a Transponder Snail went off in a pocket, and Law answered it, hoping that it might be Penguin.

It wasn't.

_'Hello, Law.'_

It was Doflamingo.

"It hasn't been three days yet." Law said in a dead kind of way. He didn't have anything else to say to the other man at present.

_'Fufufu. Oh, Law, you know you shouldn't try and be so ignorant. We both know for a fact that you would never have shown up as I asked if you'd found your crewmate and that other supernova brat. So, as such, I decided to take steps to ensure that you come to Fang Island.'_

Law's stomach dropped, and he began to feel a little ill. No…Doflamingo didn't mean…did he?

_'I have your crewmate and Eustass Kidd with me.'_ Doflamingo's voice seemed to be directed elsewhere as he added, snidely, _'Why don't you let him know that I mean what I say?'_

Law bit the inside of his cheek as voices joined Doflamingo's over the snail.

_'Fuck off…you asshole.'_ Kidd's dazed sounding voice was cut off with what sounded like a rough motion from Doflamingo. Kick or punch, it didn't seem to matter when it came to Doflamingo, as either would be painful.

_'I doubt this one will last very long with his attitude.'_ Doflamingo commented listlessly, before he addressed someone else was in the room with him. _'Do you have anything to say to your captain? I don't know how much longer I'll allow you to keep breathing after you tried to kill me with that pistol.'_

Law's breath hitched in surprise; what the hell had possessed Penguin to make such a suicidal decision?

_'I'll give you some time alone. I think it would be best to have this other fool restrained before he thinks about trying to hit me with scrap metal again.'_

The sound of a door being closed wasn't very reassuring, but Law swallowed hard as he tried not to think of his cremate being in Doflamingo's clutches again, and spoke. "Penguin?"

_'Here.'_ Penguin's voice was faint. He was clearly in pain _. 'I'm sorry. I'm usually…in better control of myself.'_

"Being reminded of your past likely didn't help things very much." Law commented.

_'No, it didn't.'_ Penguin let out a shuddering breath. _'Didn't mean I should have shot Doflamingo.'_

"You actually struck him?" Law asked, surprised. Even he had had difficultly barely putting a small cut on Doflamingo.

_'I did, but I missed.'_ Penguin sounded disappointed that he had not made a fatal shot.

"You're on Fang Island, aren't you?" Law closed his eyes briefly.

_'We are.'_ Penguin gave a weary sigh. _'Don't come here, Law. Don't give Doflamingo what he wants.'_

"I am not leaving either of you there." Law said firmly.

_'You haven't seen the way that Doflamingo has been looking at me.'_ Penguin informed Law grimly. _'Or at Kidd. At this point, he will likely be in better shape than myself.'_

"Doflamingo knows that I will not show up if you are dead." Law said faintly. This was not going at all as planned.

_'Law. He is going to incapacitate me._ ' Penguin's voice had become flat. _'Even if you do come, I might be on the verge of-'_

"Stop." Law grit out, not wanting to hear it. "You won't be."

_'You know what kind of a man Doflamingo is, Law.'_ Penguin fell silent and then, in a low whisper, added, ' _He is coming back.'_

"Penguin." Law didn't want to think about how badly Doflamingo was going to hurt Penguin.

_'Promise me Law. Promise me…you won't go back to his crew. Not even to save me.'_ Penguin said desperately.

"I can't do that." Law wouldn't. He couldn't. Penguin had already gotten in between himself and Doflamingo once, and then again, when the whole crew had tried to come help, and they had ended up injured by their own captain instead. Law didn't think that Penguin would survive another encounter with Doflamingo.

_'Promise me.'_ Penguin demanded sharply, the desperation still there _. 'I can't stand the thought that I would be what forced you to give Doflamingo what he wants.'_

A door opened.

_'Law…'_

Law let out a hash exhale, conflicted, before he answered Penguin in a barely there whisper. "Then promise me you won't die." Law didn't want anyone else to die because of him. Not again.

_'Can't, captain.'_ Penguin said, before he was cut off by what sounded like Doflamingo kicking him, from the pained yelp that emitted from the Heart Pirate.

_'Did you have a good chat?'_ Doflamingo asked disinterestedly.

"Leave Penguin alone." Law all but snarled. He was tired of his crewmate being harmed by this man and being unable to stop it.

_'I will leave him alive for you to see him when you come to Fang Island.'_ Doflamingo overrode the beginning of a protest _. 'He should be dead after what he's done. Interfering all of those times, and then not having the courtesy to die from his wounds.'_ The snail reflected Doflamingo' grin, _'There is an old mansion at the center of Fang Island. Be there tomorrow evening.'_

"And what of Eustass-ya?" Law didn't dare mention his crewmate again, despite the continued pained whimpers in the background. Law had an uneasy feeling that Doflamingo was using Penguin as half a foot rest, and it angered Law that he couldn't do anything about it.

_'He will be further insurance that you do as I ask.'_ Doflamingo returned smoothly. _'Your crewmate is to ensure that you come to the island. The red haired fool is to make sure that you don't put up a fight and remain on the island. He can leave, so long as you surrender quietly. If not-'_ The implied threat hung in the following silence.

Law had the sensation of being trapped with nowhere to go. He didn't doubt that Doflamingo would make good his threats, and had a feeling that Kidd might not be in the best of shape when Law arrived, and that the red haired captain might not even be able to leave on his own. And Penguin…Law didn't even want to think about the shape his crewmate was going to be in. It hurt Law to even contemplate it.

_'Law?'_

Law took a steadying breath, and when the Heart Pirate captain spoke again, his voice was emotionless. "I'll be at the mansion on Fang Island tomorrow evening."

_'Alone?'_

Law hung his head just a little. "Alone."

_'Then you have nothing to worry about.'_ Doflamingo hung up.

Law grit his teeth as his hand gripped the railing before him tightly once more. He had plenty to worry about, and one of those worries was getting Luffy to not make a ruckus too prematurely. It also meant that Law would have to go to Kidd's ship and convince Killer to get him Fang Island so Law could retrieve Kidd, as well as Penguin, despite Doflamingo's ominous promises about Penguin's state of continued living. Law let go of the railing to let his arm hang at his side; he didn't bother retrieving the snail, and instead shouldered his nodachi. Doflamingo had said nothing about coming unarmed. Things were going downhill, and the Heart Pirate captain hated to think that the conversation he'd just had with Penguin might be the last one he ever had with his crewmate.

-x-

Law's disappearance from the Thousand Sunny upset Luffy, and in no time at all, the whole crew decided to go after Law, due to Luffy's insistence that they do so. They were in an alliance, after all. Law's crew would go as well, as there was no question that they were loyal to their captain, despite Law's insistence that they stay away and not get involved.

Sanji attempted to mention something in passing to Luffy, but ended up sharing his concerns with Robin and Nami instead. "Something seems to be going on, more than we know." He offered Nami a tray with drinks on it, and the orange haired navigator took one, quiet as she sipped it, before speaking.

"Doflamingo?"

"He's the only one who seems to hold any sway over Law; Doflamingo's already seemed to have manipulated Law once by harming one of his cremates and blackmailing him." Sanji moved around Nami to offer the tray to Robin with a smile, and the black haired woman took a drink as well with a brief smile of her own before she spoke to the cook's comment.

"It seems likely then that Law's disappearance from this ship an hour ago without a word to us or his crew is Doflamingo's doing as well."

Luffy was close enough to tune into the conversation, and spoke simply.

"Then we just need to go kick Doflamingo's ass. That'll make him stop bothering Law, right?" Luffy hopped up onto the figurehead of the Sunny. "Let's go kick mingo's ass!"

A collective sigh rose from those within hearing, but no one tried to dissuade Luffy from his decision as they headed in the direction of Kidd's ship, after a quick correspondence with Killer via a Transponder Snail.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Killer had decided that Hawkins had been right about Law delaying their rendezvous. Not that the long haired pirate's stubborn captain would admit that was the case, even if Kidd's interest in Law had gotten himself into trouble lately.

-x-

Kidd's day just seemed to suck ass more and more with every passing moment. First, Trafalgar fucking Law thought it would be amusing to swap everyone's bodies, and before that, he acted like a fucking idiot by being a victim of having to do what Doflamingo told him to or else. Not only that, Kidd then ended up captured, tied up and then forced into a collar and whipped, and then Law and his crewmate had had the gall to be angry at him for his actions. It wasn't a wonder at all that Kidd had so easily fallen straight into a fight with Penguin, especially when the other man had started it.

Kidd winced and grunted something upon being dropped onto the ground in present time, and thought that he was not doing very well to stay free. It kind of pissed him off, though being bound with chain, some of it sea stone, and gagged, there wasn't much he could do about it at present. Kidd felt like he'd been kicked around and beaten up to the point of unconsciousness and perhaps he had, even though he was fairly sure he'd blacked out or something briefly before.

More than anything, Kidd hated the helplessness he was currently experiencing, and if he could have, the red haired captain would have murdered Doflamingo and leveled the building that he was in. Whether or not Kidd would have helped Penguin out of the imagined flattened building was up for debate, but considering Law would likely never speak to him again or fuck and then maybe proceed to murder him for letting his cremate die…

Maybe Kidd would help.

But he couldn't.

Fucking Doflamingo had made sure he wasn't going to be moving under his own power unless he allowed it, and that made Kidd's temper flare even more, even if he couldn't do anything right now.

Doflamingo laughing suddenly made Kidd turn his head, a little bit, anyway, and heard the blond haired pirate speak.

"It's close to the appointed time."

Kidd heard a thud of flush meeting flesh, and that indicated that Doflamingo had kicked someone. Penguin most likely, since Doflamingo wasn't near him. Kidd scowled around the gag. He had unfinished business with Penguin, so Doflamingo had better not kill him off. The red haired captain went still when Doflamingo decided to come over and nudge him in the side.

"Still thinking about taking Law away?"

Kidd couldn't answer, because of the gag, and Doflamingo didn't seem to expect an answer anyway, as he walked away almost immediately. Kidd heard footsteps, and they weren't Doflamingo's. The red head strained to roll over, and did so with a wince, and saw Law standing just inside the entrance hall of the mansion, looking grim. Kidd couldn't help but let a wheeze of amusement out at the sight of Law drawing his nodachi, as if to attack, only to pause mid step at something. Kidd tried to roll onto his side from his stomach to see what was going on, only to let out a muffled curse when Doflamingo's foot came out of nowhere to rest against his back firmly. Kidd became aware of erratic hisses of breath, and since it wasn't coming from him, or Doflamingo, it had to be Penguin.

Shit.

That Doflamingo was a fucked up SOB. He had had to have picked Penguin up from wherever he'd been on the floor, and held the Heart Pirate up in order to get Law's attention. From the sound of it, Doflamingo succeeded.

"Forgetting something, Law?"

Kidd bristled at the thought of being used as bait, and his mind worked furiously at how to get out of this predicament.

-x-

Law had had half formed plans to use himself as a diversion so that Kidd could make himself scare. Law doubted the other captain could help Penguin, so the Heart Pirate captain would have to do it himself. What Law hadn't expected was for Doflamingo to have the forethought to have someone shackle Kidd with cuffs and sea stone chains. That made Law draw his nodachi with the new plan to free Kidd from those chains with his powers, and let the red head fend for himself while Law distracted Doflamingo. That was the plan, until Doflamingo hoisted something up off the floor, and Law froze in place.

Penguin.

It was his crewmate, and Penguin was bloodied and battered and hanging almost lifelessly from Doflamingo's grasp. The only way Law knew Penguin was alive was from the wheezing, short breaths his crewmate took. Law's hand gripped Kikoku's hilt tightly as Doflamingo causally rested a foot against Kidd's back, carefully avoiding the sea stone.

"It's good of you to come, Law. And alone, as requested." Doflamingo allowed his foot to rest heavier against Kidd's back, drawing forth a grunt. "I do believe that we discussed Eustass Kid being here so that you wouldn't put up a fight?"

Law's blade faltered. "You will let him leave?" Law meant Kidd, but his eyes were on Penguin's almost lifeless body hanging from Doflamingo's grasp.

"Give me your blade. I think I will hold on to it until I curb you of your intent to try and kill me with it."

Law hesitated, before he sheathed his nodachi reluctantly as he cautiously approached Doflamingo. "You will let my crewmate go." It wasn't a question this time.

Doflamingo ginned without answer as he took the blade and tucked it in the back of his belt. The blond grabbed Law almost immediately by the front of Law's shirt and hoisted him up off the ground to be level with his face.

"I was going to let the red head off, if you didn't resist, but I will take you drawing your blade with intention to fight a violation of that." Doflamingo grinned. "I don't want you getting any ideas, so I've decided that Eustass Kidd will remain here on the island." The blond indicated Penguin before continuing on. "You, I and your crewmate here will leave this island, so that you won't take issue."

Law thought quickly, but saw no way out. His eyes fell on Kidd, and Law lifted his head to stare at those damn shaded glasses. "Let me treat Eustass-ya's injuries."

"It doesn't matter how long you delay, Law. We will be leaving before any of your allies arrive here." Doflamingo let go and let Law drop a few feet to the ground carelessly. "But very well. You have one hour to do so." Doflamingo stepped away from Kidd, and waved two random pirates into the hall to have them bring Kidd into a room to the left. "No longer, or I will make sure I throw this one's broken body off the ship the moment weren't on it." Doflamingo warned, indicating Penguin as Law automatically followed after the two other pirates.

Law grit his teeth again, frustrated with the way things were going, but didn't argue against Doflamingo's treatment of Penguin. An hour was all he needed to tell Kidd what he needed to. Law waited impatiently for the other pirates to remove Kidd's shackles, and it was clear that the red haired captain wasn't doing well, since he didn't try to lash out at either man as they removed the cuffs before making a hasty retreat out the door at Kidd turning over onto his back.

Law was honestly surprised that Doflamingo was fine with him closing the door, and felt it lucky that there was a bed in the room for Kidd to lay on, because he didn't seem to be too comfortable laying on his back as it as.

"Fucking bastards." Kidd muttered, before he fell silent and refused to say a damn thing despite the few times Law tried to start a conversation. When there was no forthcoming response, the Surgeon of Death saw to Kidd's wounds, even if most were superficial and the worst Kidd seemed to have suffered was a bruised pride.

"Why are you bothering with that?" Kidd muttered at last, watching Law wrap some bandages around a cleaned cut along part of his right forearm. "I thought you and your crewmate didn't like me."

"Penguin _does_ dislike you." Law offered a bare hint of a smirk. "I, on the other hand, find you exasperating and at times...entertaining."

"Entertaining in bed?" Kidd dared to ask, and cursed when Law tugged the bandages tight.

"No, you're an animal in bed, remember?" Law went on to check Kidd's abdomen, to see if there were cracked or broken ribs. "Otherwise you are entertaining in that you don't seem to know what to do around me at time." Law narrowed his eyes at the red head. "At the moment, I'm still not happy with what you did when you were in control of Penguin's body."

"What _I_ did?" Kidd jerked back and away from Law's touch. "Those fucking guards put a damn collar on me like the ones in Sabaody, and then they tried to get me to work, and whipped me." Kidd seemed to rethink his actions, and instead seized on to Law's nearest arm with his right to drag him onto the bed. "It may have been your crewmate's body, but it was still me inside." Kid brought Law onto his lap, so that he could better look the other pirate captain in the eye. "And no one does shit to me like that and lives to tell about it. I'm no one's slave."

Law's face was perfectly bank, as he was rather distracted by the fact that he suddenly found himself seated on Kidd's lap in a rather suggestive way.

"What? You thought I would let it slide just 'cause I wasn't in my own body?" Kidd demanded, incredulous. "You crewmate didn't before, and I wasn't about to get wounded more."

"I need to finish treating your wounds. Or would you prefer to stay here and wait for the navy to come here and find you?" Law commented as he tried to free his arm and get off of Kidd's lap before he did something he regretted.

"I'm fine." Kidd insisted. "And don't fucking change the topic."

"We can talk later." Law said.

"No, right now." Kidd growled. "Cause I fucking did what I did to not be made to work like a slave. Do you fucking get that or not?"

Law was unwilling to comment, even though he felt he understood in a way the actions Kidd had taken, even if it did nothing to help Penguin. What Law didn't expect was for Kidd to be in slightly better shape then he'd initially thought, and Law soon found himself rolled to one side, Kidd looming over him as one metal hand and one flesh hand rested on either side of the Heart Pirate's head. Law scrunched against the bed with an annoyed look in his eyes, but it didn't seem to dissuade Kidd. He seem to be waiting for Law to say something. Anything.

"You could have avoided killing people." Law said at length, even if he didn't sound like he meant it in that moment.

Kidd grinned for some reason.

"I will need to leave this room, Eustass-ya." Law pointed out. "I very much doubt Doflamingo is willing to wait for me to do anything else apart from treating your wounds."

"Too fucking bad. He'll have to wait." Kidd said simply, before he cut Law's response off with a kiss.

Law didn't know what he expected, but it was not that at all. Wasn't Kidd still taking issue with his reaction to what the red head had down while using Penguin's body?

A hand up Law's shirt and sliding along tanned skin seemed to point in the direction that while Kidd seemed to be distracted touching him, though the red haired captain appeared to have not forgotten the matter as he was being slightly rougher than the previous times they'd been in bed together.

Law let Kidd do as he would, because the dark haired pirate wasn't sure what he was doing anymore, apart from making sure Doflamingo didn't kill Penguin the moment he set foot off of Fang Island.

-x-

"It's kind of boring if you don't do anything, Trafalgar." Kidd commented from overhead, as he leaned over close so that their noses were nearly touching. Kidd could tell that he was kind of irritating Law right now with the way he let his right hand. move.

"I didn't think you were going to be up for anything after taking a beating." Law offered after a brief moment of silence.

"You're pissing me off, so that helps." Kidd replied, before he bit down on the side of Law's neck.

"What does that have to do with this?" The Heart Pirate captain demanded as he tried to shove Kidd away from his neck and the teeth that were grazing the skin roughly. "Stop that."

Kidd seized Law's nearest hand and, with a grin, nipped two of Law's fingers. "What the hell are you talking about? Of course it does." The red haired captain used a knee to nudge between Law's legs. "Cause this tells me a hell of a lot more than you whining about shit. You want to do this right now, and let Doflamingo hear it." When Law smacked his chest with his other hand, Kidd seized Law's wrists with his right hand and held them down on the bed. Kidd grinned when the dark haired captain appeared to not like the motion. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"I do not want him to hear." Law hissed in return, sounding offended, even if he stopped straining to free his now trapped wrists. "Doflamingo could kill Penguin if he thought I was wasting time."

"I don't think this is a waste of time." Kidd said irritably, his right hand gripping Law's wrists tighter. "Did you before?"

"That is not relevant right now." Law said, still quiet. "And it's too dangerous to do anything right now. We could be caught."

"I don't fucking care." Kidd said simply, and cut off Law's damn weak protests with a kiss because fuck if he was going to let Law slide off just like that and go off with Doflamingo. He was going to get some kind of response out of Law, and if Kidd had to get it right now, despite Doflamingo on the other side of the door, he would.

Besides, maybe Kidd's crew or Law's or even Straw Hat's crew would find them. After all, Kidd made damn sure, before the body swap ever happened, that he had had a vivre card for his crew to follow. So if he could get laid and get an answer out of Law and have several crews come here to Fang Island to make Doflamingo's life complicated, the red haired captain was going to for it. Kidd let go of Law's wrists in order to tangle the hand in Law's hair to prevent the other man from breaking away from the kiss.

Law's hands instantly gripped the shirt Kidd had on as he groaned something into the kiss.

Kidd reluctantly broke it off to see what the damn problem was, and nearly laughed when Law, after hesitating a moment, sighed, shook his head and then dragged Kidd back into the kiss with a low, frustrated snarl, like he didn't know what to do anymore.

That was fine with Kidd.

He didn't know what the fuck he was doing anymore either, least of all why Kidd thought fucking Law then and there was a good idea, when someone very dangerous was on the other side of the door. But Kidd didn't like that Law hadn't admitted that the red haired captain had acted accordingly to being treated like a slave, and if nothing else, Kidd was going to get that much out of Law at that point in time.

"Gonna fuck you now. " Kidd muttered after he'd broken the kiss and made his way down to Law's collarbone.

"I'll kill you if Doflamingo kills Penguin." Law muttered back.

"Sure you will. But he said he wouldn't kill him on the island, so shut the fuck up and enjoy this, asshole." Kidd growled irately as he shoved himself up in order to fumble his pants off. The red head grinned the faintest bit at Law looking off the side with a scowl even as the Heart Pirate captain wriggled his pants and briefs off. Kidd was about to slide down and maybe start things off with a blow job when Law, whatever the fuck was going through his head, twisted out of reach and went after Kidd's damn scars with his fingers and lips.

Shit.

That was distracting as hell and not at all what Kidd had planned, so he needed to stop it before the amused, barely there laughs changed into something else. Either teasing or trying to get away or whatever Law had suddenly decided he needed to do. Kidd was quick to flip Law onto his stomach and flatten the other captain on the bed using his bulk to prevent Law from rising and squeezed the dark haired pirate's left wrist lightly with his metal one when it seemed like Law might have used his powers. At a low growl of displeasure, Kidd leaned over and bit the side of Law's neck and then his nearest ear before letting go to whisper. "I think I'm gonna see how long you can handle me fucking you."

"Animal." Law spat out, trying to shift away, even if it was clear he realized that the two of them were naked from the waist down.

"Maybe." Kidd agreed as he retaliated with exploring the scar that went diagonal across the tattoo on Law's back. "You going to fix the tattoo?"

"That doesn't have anything to do with right now, does it?" Law asked after a moment, his voice muffled in the sheets.

"Just askin'. You mentioned it before and-"

"Are you going to fuck me, or have you decided you wish to talk my ear off instead?" Law demanded, as he propped himself up with an arm, "Because if that is the case, then I'll take my leave."

"You're damn unfriendly today." Kidd held Law down easily and congratulated himself on finding medical lube in Law's discarded pants.

"I wonder why." Law said, deadpan. "It couldn't be because you and my crewmate were captured by Doflamingo, who then threatens me to come here or he threatened to kill the both you."

"So you were worried about me then?" The red head grinned at the huff Law made at that before Kidd tapped the Heart Pirate's shoulder with what he'd found and changed topics. "You want to get fucked so bad you carry this around with you?"

"It is for medical purposes, you idiot." Law said crossly, clearly knowing what it was that Kidd had found.

"Keep up with me, Trafalgar." Kidd said with a grin. "You can bitch at me all you want later."

"Don't disappoint me then." Law said after he'd twisted slightly to the side to lock eyes with Kidd. "I won't forget this." The dark haired captain warned.

"You better not. It'll be the best fuck you've had since the last time in that inn." Kidd said with a nasty grin. "Before Straw Hat interrupted us."

"You know what I meant." Law said darkly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You'll rip my balls off and cut my dick off if your crewmate dies." Kidd pushed Law back face-down and lightly nipped the nape of his neck. "We still got at least forty minutes before someone comes to check up on us."

"Then you'd better make it quick." Law said after a brief moment's hesitation.

"But that won't be any fun." Kidd mock complained, before he uncapped the tube.

"I could take a nap." Law drawled in a bored way.

"Can't have that." Kidd said as he shut Law up in a different way.

Law's middle finger made an appearance.

"That's better." Kidd grinned. "I'm think I'm gonna make sure that you just pay attention to me right now."

"You are so full of yourself."

They didn't get caught, but it was a close thing because Law and Kidd himself had a hard time remaining silent. It was a wonder they didn't notice the distance sound of cries later that signaled several crews landing on the island and wreaking havoc. But for now, there was a closed door, a bed, and medical lube that Kidd was going to be making damn sure that he used some more to get things rolling.

"So, Trafalgar, do you just want my fingers today or are you gonna stick around long enough to get to the good part?" The red haired pirate asked conversationally.

Law seemed to sag into the sheets even further at that, before he gave Kidd the middle finger again.

"Thought so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So an alluded to smut scene and then an attempted smut scene in the next chapter because apparently Kidd couldn't resist and I couldn't resist putting it in the fic (whether or not things went ooc, though to be honest, there is ooc here and there anyway because of the pairing and an attempt to put it in the canon setting). Sometimes i feel like I run out of steam for some chapters, so hopefully this one was all right. It's more of a transition, because I'm hoping to have a good fight in the next chapter (though I don't think anyone's going to complain about the kidlaw part that snuck its way into this chapter).


	20. Chapter 20

As much as Kidd wanted to get around to fucking Law, it seemed as though getting around to that was going to be made more difficult because the Heart Pirate captain's mind still hadn't shut off. In fact, instead of looking at Kidd, as the red head thought he ought to be, Law had turned his head to the side in order to sneak peeks at the closed door. It was as if the Surgeon of Death expected to see Doflamingo enter into the room with Penguin's dead body in hand for taking too long.

Kidd doubted that would be the case. Doflamingo had to have known that he had Law by the balls, so to speak, and that the Heart Pirate wouldn't do anything that would cause Doflamingo to harm Penguin further. At least until the agreed upon hour was reached. Whether Penguin would still be breathing by then was debatable. Kidd's amber gaze fell back onto Law, and the red head decided that in the meantime, he wouldn't stand to be ignored. Why Law wasn't paying attention to the fact that the two of them were half naked in the bed together was a puzzle, though the hard stare at the door was likely the reason. It was hard for Kidd himself to ignore, basically resting over Law's back as he was, so how the Heart Pirate could be unaffected by that little detail was pretty damn impressive.

Unless he was faking the disinterest.

Kidd gripped Law's right forearm tight with his right hand to check and see, and the resulting wince beneath the red head's grasp let him know he had drawn Law's attention. Or at the very least, it got the Heart Pirate captain to fix his gaze on Kidd instead of the door for a brief time.

Better.

Kidd would rather have Law focus on him right now instead of his predicament, even for a short time, because the red haired captain was in the mood to do something. Although now that he was actually thinking thanks to Law's hesitation and less than enthused idea of having sex within hearing range of Doflamingo, Kidd believed that actually screwing Law into the bed might prevent the man from making an escape from Doflamingo.

Dammit.

It wasn't like Kidd could fight and haul Law's sorry ass over one shoulder without Kidd having to fight for the both of them, and with Doflamingo's powers, it would be pretty damn tricky.

"Quit squeezing my arm, Eustass-ya. Unless you are trying to incapacitate me in a different way?" Law's left hand rested over Kidd's right. "If that is you intention, do desist. I'd rather have full use of my arm and merely suffer from a limp for a short while." Law's voice went dry. "If I have a choice in the matter, that is. I know which would be more preferable."

That made Kidd grin, as he knew what Law was hinting at, but unfortunately, what the red haired captain had wanted to do was just something he would have to wait to act upon. That time being when he and Law were far away from Doflamingo, and they weren't likely to be interrupted in one of their cabins or better yet, an inn somewhere. Too bad he couldn't have his way with Law right now, but as he'd deemed it a bad idea as it would make it difficult for Law to run, he had to wait. Kidd let go of Law's wrist with an exasperated sigh at the shit he was dealing with right now. It was inconvenient. No, that wasn't it. Kidd grumbled something as he sat up to allow Law to turn over and onto his back. Kidd tuned into present and considered the way Law lie sprawled on his back, the other captain's expression clearly wondering why the hell Kidd wasn't getting on with it already. Kidd huffed out a disappointed breath as he settled on a word to describe his feelings on the matter for not taking what he wanted.

Annoyance.

Fucking, profound annoyance was what the red haired captain was feeling now.

Kidd let up on his scowl as a brilliant idea hit him, and, with Law giving him a look like he'd gone crazy, Kidd grinned in return. Kidd reached over and yanked Law by the legs so that with a muffled curse, Law's legs were now closer to Kidd when the red head let go and settled over him, metal and flesh hands resting on either of Law's thighs.

"What do you think you are doing?" Law demanded archly, his eyes locked on Kidd's as the Heart Pirate eyed the red head with a look of displeasure.

"I changed my mind." Kidd said in answer, before he leered. "I decided that you needed to be able to run to get away from Doflamingo, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna have at least a little fun with you." Kidd uncapped the medical lube and went ahead with two of his right fingers to stall Law's sure to be indignant answer. The red haired captain thought the low groan and the parting of Law's legs was a much preferable response.

"I will kill you if Doflamingo hears us." Law reminded Kidd with a furrowed brow.

"Sure you will." Kidd snorted in response, not believing it for a minute. And with a twist of his fingers that got Law writhing, Kidd shifted back and over, ignoring Law's brief 'no, stop' of protest before get went down on Law. The red haired captain figured that loosening Law up a bit would make the older man less anxious over their situation. Much to Kidd's amusement, sucking off Law and fingering the bastard did get him to mellow out, to a degree, so that when Kidd finished, those skilled, tattooed fingers returned the favor for him.

Not exactly what Kidd had had in mind, but it would have to do for present. He and Law had less than a half hour to figure out what the hell they were going to do about Doflamingo.

And Penguin, if he was still breathing.

"You're still thinking about fucking me." Law said, his voice cross as he sat up on the bed. "Do you not comprehend the danger you are in?"

"The only danger I'm in right now is you talking my ear off." Kidd cursed at a sharp smack against his chest. Not because it hurt, but because it startled him the faintest bit, and the red head retaliated by lurching close to Law as he wrapped his arms around Law's waist. Ignoring Law's other, half-hearted slap against his arm this time, Kidd dragged the Heart Pirate close in order to hold him to his chest. Kidd nearly laughed at the sight of Law baring his teeth at him as the other captain half-twisted in his grasp to face him. "Your crew know you make that face? Wouldn't that make it hard for them to sleep at night." Kidd hesitated but since Law's expression had morphed into a soundless glower, the red head decided he had to do something.

That something being angling his head in order to urge Law up and into a kiss because fuck, why the hell not? It pissed Kidd off to no end that little things like Law losing his cool would turn him on.

It seemed like Law wasn't as inclined to agree from his cross huff, but he did return the kiss with equal fury, which meant he wasn't quite opposed to them doing this. The Heart Pirate just had other things on his mind, and this thing between himself and Kidd wasn't the one at the forefront of his mind.

"So, we got a half hour to get dressed and get the fuck out of here." Kidd said as soon as he broke the kiss and let go of Law in order to pick up his discarded clothes. It just fucking figured that Law was not about to go along with anything without being pressured into it.

"You have a half hour to get out of here before Doflamingo deems it a necessity to kill you as well." Law corrected, even as the Heart Pirate captain recovered his clothes as well. "I'm not going anywhere. I can't let Doflamingo harm Penguin further, and if he sees me trying to make a run for it, he will snap Penguin's neck. If anything, take Penguin with you and leave me. Doflamingo won't kill me." Law looked away. "Not yet."

"Like hell I'm leaving you with him." Kidd hitched his sash around his waist, along with the buckles, and looked himself over, making a few adjustments here and there. It didn't appear like he had been up to something but if anything was out of place, Kidd was certain Killer would notice. Not that Kidd cared. He just didn't want Killer's impassive mask to fix him with a look of what would be sure to be disappointment. Again, props to his crewmate for giving off impressions with a fucking mask.

"Go, Eustass-ya." Law said from the edge of the bed, fully dressed once more. It seemed like the Heart Pirate captain was still insistent upon Kidd leaving, but it was just too bad, because Law should have known that the red head had no intention of tucking tail and making a run for it.

"Nah, I'd rather take that fucker down for beating me around earlier." Kidd said, dismissive of the idea of running. He was still alive, not too badly wounded but for a few bruises and a cut to his right arm. He'd been in worse shape, and his pride wouldn't allow for him to let the matter lie, despite any odds against him. "You can't tell me you haven't thought to do that yet. He's had to have pissed you off enough by now, right?"

"I can't do anything while he has Penguin." Law said, his tone sour, and, for some reason, closer. "Room."

Why the fuck Law was using his powers merited investigation, but even as Kidd began to turn, he felt Law press up against him from behind. Kidd stilled briefly over the fact that a blade of some sort was drawn across his throat, but as it was not pressing into skin, Kidd focused on Law instead. It was then that Kidd remembered the amount of weapons he carried on his person, and realized how Law had gotten access to a blade.

Skinny bastard had nicked one of his daggers with his Devil Fruit powers.

"Go, Eustass-ya. Do not make me repeat myself."

"Well, if you want me to go, slitting my throat isn't the best idea. I wouldn't get far." Kidd thought it was a fair point. Not that the action overly bothered him. Before it might have, but Kidd felt he had Law pegged good enough that he was fairly positive Law wouldn't harm him.

Not at present, anyway, with whatever was going on between them. At a later point in time, perhaps Kidd would worry, but not right now. Not from the way that Law's hand shook faintly around the dagger he held pressed to Kidd's pale skin. It was, the red head figured, some powerlessness on Law's part not to be able to have a dagger to Dofalmingo's throat instead.

Kidd reached up and gripped Law's wrist with his right hand. "If you get your crewmate out of the way, you gonna fight that pink wearing bastard?"

"Since Doflamingo is likely to keep Penguin in close proximity to dissuade me of the idea, I highly doubt it." Law's voice was bitter, even if his grasp of the dagger had slackened.

"Answer the question, Trafalgar." Kidd grumbled irritably.

"I would, but as it is impossible at present, I can't." Law twitched the hand that was within Kidd's grasp. "Now let go of me and get out of here."

Kidd wanted to shove Law against the wall for being so damn exasperating, but he didn't have to, because in a couple of minutes he would be fighting, Kidd bringing up justification to what he had done when in control of Penguin's body would have to wait.

For once, Luffy's timing couldn't be better.

-x-

His body was on fire.

The pain was excruciating and more than Penguin could have imagined, despite the last time he had gone against Doflamingo. When he'd first gotten Law away from the man, and sent his captain away with Kidd, which had resulted in a damaged throat. The second time the agony was just as bad, if not worse, because Law, being manipulated by Doflamingo's powers, had struck Penguin several blows.

This time, Penguin could barely breathe he was in so much pain, but he was still alive, and that was all that mattered. That his throat had been spared this time around was a bonus, though talking would do him no good right now. Moving anywhere under his own power was out of the question, which left him as dead weight that Doflamingo was using to his advantage to manipulate Law into doing as he wanted.

Penguin knew it. Had heard when his captain had relented and backed down, to spare him. To prevent Doflamingo from snapping his neck, from the way that the former blond haired warlord had been holding him aloft. While Penguin had been too bruised up and in pain to open his eyes after the beating that Doflamingo had given him, along with harsh strikes of string to immobilize him further, Penguin could most certainly hear.

He'd heard it all.

Penguin had heard the sound of Law drawing his blade, no doubt thinking to either spirit him out of Doflamingo's clutches, or to free Eustass Kidd on the off chance that the red haired captain would help Penguin.

It was doubtful.

Penguin was almost certain that if Law had been able to free Kidd, the red haired captain would have gone and attacked Doflamingo, for all the good it would do.

No, Penguin being there in the first place and wounded to boot was a big handicap for his captain. It almost would have been better for Doflamingo to have killed him, because that way, Law wouldn't have had anything to prevent him from lashing out at Doflamingo. Fighting to be free of the man, once and for all.

"Time's almost up." Doflamingo's voice commented slyly, cutting into Penguin's thoughts. "Law has nowhere to go if he doesn't want me to snap your neck."

Penguin withheld a whimper when Doflamingo nudged him none too gently in the side. The Heart Pirate didn't want to give the man the satisfaction to know that he was tormenting Penguin in more ways than just physical harm.

"Pity Law is so attached to you and the rest of his crew. Fufufu." Doflamingo chuckled as he walked a few paces away, "I think I have decided what to do with you once we get back to my ship, along with Law."

Penguin didn't want to hear what the blond had in mind, as the Heart Pirate had a feeling he knew what it would be. But Penguin had no choice but to hear, incapacitated as he was. A sick feeling settled in the pit of Penguin's stomach that had nothing to do with his injuries as Doflamingo confirmed his fears.

"I'll have Law kill you himself, like I should have had him do back on that other island."

Anything Penguin might have heard next was interrupted by a cracking sound, which grew louder and louder until the very mansion seemed to shake, and that was when the Heart Pirate heard something else. It was Straw Hat Luffy's voice, as it rose above the deafening sound of breaking rock and brick.

"Elephant gun!"

It was a shame that Penguin couldn't force his exhausted body to open his eyes, as the look on Doflamingo's face at the interruption would have been worth the effort.

-x-

Law and Kidd were out the door the instant the mansion shook and they were in time to see Luffy hurtle through the debris and almost land a solid blow on Doflamingo.

Almost being the operative word, as Doflamingo had lifted his hand in time to halt the giant fist with a gigantic spider web, slowing the momentum and preventing Luffy from getting to close to him.

But it put the grinning blond further away from Penguin.

Law acted instantly when Doflamingo's head turned his way, as if the man had sensed the Heart Pirate's sudden, soon to be taken action. The Surgeon of Death hastily lifted his hand before Doflamingo could stop him, and seized Kidd with his other. "Room."

"Bullet String!"

Law bit his lip against the pain of the attack as it grazed his right shoulder, but swapped his and Kidd's position with some debris on the far side of the mansion, and landed right near Penguin.

Kidd cursed as he hit the ground alongside Law, but upon seeing torn up ground from another of Doflamingo's attacks sent after the Bullet String, he didn't give Law too much shit for the other's sudden decision to take him along for a dizzying ride from one place to the next instantaneously.

"I need to get Penguin out of here." Law said, already easing his unresponsive crewmate into his arms.

"I'm not running." Kidd growled at the look he received, before he offer his fellow captain a grin of anticipation, "I ain't letting Straw Hat have all the fun."

"Do try to not get yourself killed." Law said stiffly, his head turned away from Kidd. "I believe we have unfinished business to attend to." Law swapped positions with some more debris further away, in time to avoid another strike from Doflamingo, and continued in his efforts to get further away, determined to get Penguin to relative safety, now that Law had been given an unexpected chance to save his crewmate.

While Luffy's timing wasn't always the greatest, it certainly was this time around, and Law knew he had to get what he had in mind done fast. He wasn't about to let Luffy and Kidd take turns trying to take Doflamingo down. Law wanted that honor. He'd had enough, and as Kidd had so crudely put, Law was pissed off enough that the Heart Pirate refused to bow down to Doflamingo's whims any longer, no matter what the man threatened to do.

Law wouldn't go back, even if it meant he died in the process.

-x-

Kidd had had to roll away from the debris that was kicked up from Doflamingo's latest attack, and when he had, the red haired captain was was already focusing and drawing in as much metal to himself as he could. It came to Kidd relatively quickly, thanks in part to the mansion being loaded with discarded weapons, some in good condition while others were rusted through. It was a good thing to have all of it so quickly, because Kidd was able to hastily form a barrier of scrap metal before Doflamingo could strike him again. What resulted was a dull thud and part of the barrier Kidd had created to be partially torn.

"Gum-gum…" Luffy was already racing toward Doflamingo again, steam rolling off the Straw Hat captain. "Jet punch!"

Doflamingo's attention shifted to Luffy as he raised an armament covered arm and blocked the blow, even if it caused the blond to slide back a few inches.

_Inches_.

Straw Hat was fucked if that was all he could do to Doflamingo, and if Kidd didn't amp his game up as well, he might go down a second time.

Doflamingo, for one, looked livid that Luffy was even there, and to have Kidd looking for a fight as well, while inconvenient, was likely something the former warlord had been anticipating.

But not Straw Hat.

Wasn't that just too fucking bad for Doflamingo?

Kidd grinned as he raised a hand and turned his focus to Doflamingo. "Repel."

The damn bastard would have to deal with the unexpected and accommodate both Kidd and Luffy. The red haired captain would have been fine on his own in this particular fight, but as there was Luffy around, Kidd would just have to work a little bit harder to take down Doflamingo before Straw Hat could.

That was the idea, anyway.

Too bad for Kidd that he hadn't realized just how furious Doflamingo was about Law waltzing off so easily with Penguin. And since Law wasn't there, Kidd was a fine stand in to turn that ire on.

-x-

Law didn't know what he felt about Kidd and Luffy facing off against Doflamingo, because in the past, neither Law nor Straw Hat had been able to stand against the blond haired pirate for long.

"Here, I started another IV."

Law glanced up from stitching one of Penguin's wounds, and nodded to Chopper gratefully. "I'm nearly finished with the stitches. We'll need bandages next."

"Right, I'll go get them." Chopper agreed, as soon as he set the IV into a vein in the crook of Penguin's left arm.

Law waited until Chopper was rummaging around in a nearby cupboard before Law spoke in a low tone to Penguin, whom he knew was awake. "I'm going to go back." Law showed no outward surprise to Penguin weakly reaching up with his right hand to grip at Law, and the pirate captain merely held his own hand close to allow his crewmate to do so.

"Don't…go." Penguin rasped, his hand settling around Law's. "He won't let you fight him…Law. He'll just take you…away. Again."

"If I don't go back, he'll just come for me anyway, no matter where I choose to go, or how far." Law reminded his crewmate, before he gently freed his hand from Penguin's in time to accept a roll of bandages from Chopper. "One of the IVs is a sedative, so you're going to start to feel drowsy."

"Don't go." Penguin mumbled before letting out a slow sigh. "Of course…you gave me one, so can't...stop you."

"Not because I wouldn't want you to help me." Law said, making an attempt to differentiate this time from the previous where he had given Penguin a sleeping dosage in his wine. It seemed like so long ago now, Cliff Rock, where all of Law's troubles had come to a head in the form of Doflamingo. "But I don't want you to be in as much much pain right now. You've done enough, so rest."

"Don't let…Doflamingo take you away." Penguin mumbled, before his breathing seemed to even out as he slipped off into a semi-doze.

"You'll keep an eye on him?" Law asked of Chopper, who'd been taking Penguin's vitals again.

"I can, but are you really going back?" Chopper watched Law head for the door.

"I can't let Eustass-ya and Straw Hat-ya do all the work for me. Doflamingo is my problem. Not theirs." Law opened up the cabin door and exited onto the Thousand Sunny's deck. Law shouldered his nodachi, which he had taken back from Doflamingo in the confusion of Straw Hat trying to slug the larger man. It was likely why Doflamingo had tried harder to strike Law as he warped from one piece of debris from another.

Law raised a hand, eyes on the island the ship was anchored off of.

"Room."

Penguin was safe, for now, and as Kidd and Luffy were foolishly attacking Doflamingo, as evidenced by the dust cloud that was steadily rising over the center of Fang Island, there wasn't any harm in Law going and doing similarly.

Kidd was, again, right in a way.

Law wanted to fight Doflamingo. The Surgeon of Death wanted to defeat the man badly, so that the former blond haired warlord couldn't hold reign over his life any longer. Law had already guaranteed that Doflamingo would kill Penguin should he set eyes on him again, as Law had whisked his crewmate away because of the unexpected appearance of Luffy.

Law warped his way back to the center of the island, past several of Kidd's crewmates and Luffy's, until he reached the mansion, far ahead of any assistance from any of their crews. Law's sheathe was left on the ground as he entered the hole in the side of the stone and brick mansion with blade in hand, braced for a fight. Law relaxed only marginally at the sight of an empty main room, and turned to face a thud that sounded from the back of the mansion. Law stole over silently until he came out in what appeared to be the spacious backyard of the mansion, complete with crumbling walls and overgrown lawn.

The Heart Pirate captain was almost lulled into a state of ease until he heard Kidd curse loudly in what was clearly a warning.

"Get outta the fucking way, Trafalgar!"

Law barely had time to bring his blade up to catch the elongated, jagged metal that was Kidd's left hand, and despite what the red haired captain attacking him could mean, Law couldn't help but be amused by the jagged metal assortment of weapons that now masqueraded as fingers. It was nothing like the flat, finger-like appendages he'd glimpsed before. "I guess I should say that I'm grateful your left hand was not like this when doing...other activities?" It certainly would have cut into Law's skin, and one suspiciously looked like a blade of some kind. Law braced his feet against the ground as Kidd's metal hand rested heavier against his blade, the tips curving over the blade and toward Law. "Your powers are rather fascinating, Eustass-ya, though right now, perhaps concerning would be more apt."

"Shit. Why the fuck are you joking now?" Kidd sounded torn between amusement and exasperation. "Seriously, get the fuck away before I gut you or something." Kidd made it sound as if he had done something of the sort, to another person, at some point. The red haired captain glared out of the corner of his eyes. "I am going to kill that motherfucker for this."

"I told you to leave." Law said grimly, briefly taking his eyes off of Kidd in search of Doflamingo.

"Behind." Kidd grit out tersely, even as he pulled his left hand back and swung the jagged fingers of his hand back at Law.

Law warped away out of caution, and was glad he did; Doflamingo had come up from behind as Kidd had warned and Law hadn't even sensed him. The dark haired Heart Pirate landed a short distance away, readying his blade as he thought quickly about how to free Kidd from Doflamingo's control. A burning flare of pain shot up Law's right arm as something struck him from behind, preventing the Heart Pirate from thinking about anything. Law stumbled forward and barely had time to warp away again, and landed ungracefully on his side a short distance away, and stilled at the sight that greeted him.

It was Doflamingo.

But he had been over by Kidd, so why-

"I told you before on Dressrosa that it was pointless to fight me, Law." Doflamingo taunted as he walked over toward Law.

"None of you could hope to hold up to me in battle." The same voice came a short distance away.

Law stiffened in shock, and quickly looked between the two tall beings he saw, his mind uncomprehending.

Two Doflamingos, but why?

The second Doflamingo chuckled at the look on Law's face. "Did you think you'd seen all that I could do with my powers, Law?"

"It's best to keep an ace up your sleeve when dealing with your opponents." The first Doflamingo added.

"A clone…" Law muttered. It had to be, though how Doflamingo could fashion one with his powers was intimidating to say the least. A puppet made of string, yet able to physically strike an opponent separate of the original body.

At another curse from Kidd, Law rolled onto his back and barely brought up his nodachi sideways to block the metal left limb of Kidd's.

"Where's Straw Hat-ya?" Law hissed at Kidd, even as the second Doflamingo walked off, leaving the first to oversee manipulating the red head. The original, Law presumed.

"Dunno." Kidd grumbled sullenly, shaking the faintest amount and almost, it seemed, able to resist pressing down against Law's nodachi further.

"Room." Law said hastily, having dropped use of his powers the moment he'd landed on his side earlier. it was going to be hard, but it seemed like he would have to keep his powers activated, despite the draining of his stamina in return. At the sight of the thin dome flaring up in response to his spoken word, Law moved himself out from where he had been pinned by Kidd's left hand, and the Heart Pirate put some distance between himself and Kidd for the time being. From the harsh grating of metal scraping up the surface of the ground Law had landed on, it seemed like he wouldn't keep away from Kidd for very long. It was even less time than Law had anticipated, because suddenly Kidd had barreled through the tall grass to Law's right, and landed a glancing blow on Law's already wounded arm.

Law went down without much choice, just from the sheer force he'd been hit with, and with a pained grunt, Law his head briefly against the ground as he landed. A weight settled over him not too long after, and Law lay inert on the ground, feigning unconsciousness. He didn't need his eyes open to feel the tips of the metal of Kidd's hand resting dangerously against his throat, or the low, constant flow of 'shit' emanating from Kidd under the red haired captain's breath.

"I'd advise against any unnecessary movements, Law." Doflamingo's voice sounded from nearby. "Otherwise I think I'll have this red haired fool incapacitate you." Doflamingo laughed. "Fufufu. Not that I would take you back to my ship conscious. No, I think I'll deal with Straw Hat first, so that you don't get any more ideas, and then him." A snarl from Kidd let Law know that Doflamingo had indicated the red head in some way. Doflamingo ignored Kidd, naturally, as the blond continued on, "Only after I've dealt with them will I deal with you. Perhaps I'll choke you out like I did your crewmate before. Remember that? Pity his mouth still worked after that."

Law said nothing, knowing that Doflamingo was merely trying to goad him, but it was a struggle to keep his eyes closed. His feigning seemed to be fooling Kidd, at the very least, because in addition to the 'shits' there was also a low, wavering addition of 'wake up'. Law wasn't sure why that mattered, but the idea of Kidd having any worry over him was so outlandish that the Heart Pirate captain really wasn't sure what to think. Perhaps he would ask later, if Kidd didn't deny having done such a thing. It certainly sounded almost like Kidd was almost...concerned about him, but that just seemed so-

"Mingo!"

Law did open his eyes at that, and watched, with a horrified fascination, as Luffy swung a gigantic fist into Doflamingo. That Kidd fell on top of him immediately after as Doflamingo switched his attention to Luffy was painful. Mainly because Kidd had not retracted whatever the hell he'd done with his artificial left limb and had ended up scratching Law's right arm up further. A curse of 'fuck' didn't make Law feel any better, nor did the sight of Doflamingo landing a short distance to grin evilly at Straw Hat. Law's gazed off past the two other pirates squaring off before he made up his mind with a slow exhalation.

"Don't you fucking do it, Trafalgar." Kidd hissed in Law's ear, the red head using his right arm to lever himself up off of Law to glare at him. "I'll stop you."

"Why?" Law's honest question seemed to stun Kidd and infuriate the other captain at the same time to the point that Kidd was damn near bristling.

"Why the fuck do you think?" The red head ground out. Kidd muttered something under his breath before he added, "Besides, you said we had unfinished business, so if you get yourself killed now, how are we supposed to settle things?"

"That's not an answer." Law suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that he knew what Kidd wanted to say, but as neither of them would ever admit to actually caring about one another's well-being, the Heart Pirate knew Kidd would not say a thing. Law saw Doflamingo swing his hand, and Law, his room still activated, made his decision.

"Don't you dare, you fucking bastard! Attack from over here!" Kidd may have reached down to try and seize him by the arm, but it didn't matter because Law was already gone.

Because Law had dared to do it.

He dared so much that he gambled and swapped positions with Straw Hat, as Doflamingo was making downward slash that Luffy had apparently been prepared to try and block.

Law took the blow instead.

It hurt, but it was worth it to see the surprise on Doflamingo's face, and the fury that soon followed when Luffy bounced right back and, fist engulfed in flames, struck Doflamingo solidly for sure this time, as he had on Dressrosa, and tried to do when Law had first been blackmailed onto Doflamingo's ship.

So much for that trick not working twice, Law thought with a curl of his lips. The pain didn't hurt so much in the face of that satisfying sight, but the feeling of confidence fled the moment Law felt the sensation of Doflamingo's powers settling on him. Law fought to resist, but seeing that nasty smile, coupled by Doflamingo kneeling and spitting out blood to one side as he backhanded Luffy away didn't bode well for one person.

Kidd.

Kidd, who was taking a long time to get to his feet.

"It's funny, Law." Doflamingo said causally, as he rose and walked over to stand alongside the Heart Pirate captain. "I thought I told you that you shouldn't go getting attached to people. It's harder to leave them behind that way, when they become an anchor weighing you down." The former warlord grinned eerily as he lowered himself to be face to face with Law, pointedly ignoring the Heart Pirate's silent struggles. "I'm curious, Law. Would it upset you to kill him, like when I attempted to make you murder your crew?"

"Stop." Law choked back another sound of protest as he felt himself forced to shift his grip on his nodachi. "Leave him out of this."

Doflamingo merely laughed at him as the blond puppeted the Heart Pirate captain's limbs to his liking.

Law made the attempt to dig in his heels to no avail. Doflamingo had him trapped.

Why? Why was this happening? Law had told Kidd that he could get hurt if he didn't put space between himself and Doflamingo, and now the fallout had come. Law just hadn't imagined that he would be forced to be the one doing the harm, but as it was Doflamingo, perhaps it shouldn't have been as much of a surprise.

"Trafalgar!" Kidd had made it to his hands and knees.

"Stay...away." Law managed to gasp out, before a string constricted around his throat, silencing him.

"Don't waste my time, brat."

As if in slow motion, Law felt himself forced to turn, even as he sensed Kidd rising to come toward either himself or Doflamingo, to continue the fight. Law wasn't sure if the red haired captain would be able to fight after this, because Law ran Kidd through with his nodachi instead. The momentum with which Doflamingo had forced Law to turn as the Heart Pirate angled and thrust, coupled with Kidd's own forward motion of rising to his feet, had impaled the red haired captain partially onto Law's blade. Kidd buckled immediately with a choke of surprise, the red head's weight sagging against Law as Kidd let out a low gasp and another choke of a barely held back cry of pain as what had just happened sunk in. Law's sword arm shook as he desperately fought Doflamingo's manipulations to try and prevent Kidd from piercing himself further on the blade.

The panic Law felt seemed wrong. It was Kidd he'd stabbed, not one of his crewmates. So why? Why did Law feel like he'd stabbed himself as well? The churning twist to his gut in the face of being forced to harm Kidd didn't seem right. It meant Law hadn't actually wanted to harm the red head, despite the nuisance the other man had been making of himself ever since they'd crossed paths again. Law didn't like what he was feeling. Emotionally speaking, the act had hurt him more than he thought it would, and Law didn't like that either, because it meant that Doflamingo was right.

Law had let himself get attached, despite how bad of an idea it was to get involved with his fellow captain. And Kidd's wheeze of laughter against the side of his neck did not reassure Law in the least bit. It merely solidified the fact that Law was actually worried that he had been forced to stab Kidd of all people.

"Fuck. Bet you…wanted to do that…first night." Kidd mumbled breathlessly against the side of Law's neck. "When you were frowning and...getting buzzed." Kidd winced as another short laugh got more metal from the blade to go though his body. "Shit."

"Eustass-ya." Law breathed out shakily, not processing very well, as distracted as he was about his realization about the red head. "Tell me I missed your vitals. I tried to throw Doflamingo's aim off, but, as you found out earlier, that's easier said than done."

"Dunno." Kidd sagged further against Law, despite the groan of barely concealed pain, as he'd merely harmed himself further. "Guess it hurts a bit. Why you use...such a damn long blade?"

"It will be worse if you don't play dead." Law hissed, aware of Doflamingo's hand still aimed in his direction as the blond fended Luffy off with his other. "He might think it amusing to make me twist the blade."

"Fuck that." Kidd wheezed out, using his right hand to lever himself upright on Law's shoulder, the red head's teeth setting against the sensation of the blade through his middle. "And shit, pull the blade out already...before that bastard makes it worse."

"Can't." Law said grimly. "He has me with his power." The Heart Prate grit his teeth. "Luckily for you, I think he'd going to make me pull the blade out. Probably hit you again while you're down."

"S'not enough to take me down." Kidd reassured Law, offering a bloody grin that had come up with a cough. "I got all these scars from other battles and it wasn't enough to kill me."

"Stop talking, you'll make it worse." Law cautioned, even as he was forced to shakily step back from Kidd and pull the blade free. Law's eyes immediately looked the wound in Kidd's abdomen over, wondering about the potential of internal bleeding.

"I thought that would have been enough."

Law was distracted from diagnosing Kidd's potential fallout from being stabbed when the Heart Pirate felt Doflamingo manipulating him into angling his blade. Law's tone changed at once, becoming taut as he addressed Kidd. "If you don't get out of the way, I might lop your head off."

Kidd moved at that, hand to his abdomen in a poor attempt to stop the blood flow. Despite his confidence and assurance earlier that the wound wasn't enough to kill him, it was unfortunately enough to slow him down. Enough that Law ended up slashing the red haired captain from his right collar bone to just above his left hip. Kidd let out a curse but instead of retreating the red head went straight toward Law with a clenched right fist.

"Stop!" Law choked on another protest, not sure if he was directing the word to Kidd or Doflamingo. When Law realized he couldn't free himself, and Doflamingo was serious about the Heart Pirate captain taking Kidd out, Law was unable to prevent himself from letting out a tortured cry at the helplessness of being unable to stop himself as Doflamingo made him swing the nodachi again. There was no way Kidd could block anything after that last injury, so Law was understandably surprised when Kidd caught the blade with his left hand and hit Law in the gut with his clenched fist. Law folded instantly as he was sent stumbling backward, all fight in his body gone as his breath left him. Doflamingo still had control of his body, however, so Law couldn't prevent the man from urging him back Kidd's way and striking down with his blade.

"Kidd!"

The shout that came a short distance away was followed by Killer jumping in the way to cross his own blades together to halt Law's.

The Surgeon of Death was relieved to be stopped. If he were going to actually start a fight with Kidd, he would have done it on his own, and not because Doflamingo was forcing him to.

But Law found that he didn't have it in him to actually want to fight Kidd, and didn't want to think about that at present.

-x-

Kidd was sluggish from the newly made wounds, but he grinned lopsidedly at his crewmate when the long haired blond half turned to him. "Hey, Killer. Don't kill him."

"He is attacking you." Killer said incredulously, "I'd have thought he'd have done it sooner."

"Doflamingo." Kidd offered, waving absently in the aforementioned man's direction. "Making him do it. Made me attack Trafalgar earlier."

"His powers." Killer was silent, before he regarded Law. The long haired pirate ducked beneath another sweep of Law's nodachi, before he reached over and rapped Law sharply over the head.

The Heart Pirate crumpled to the ground without a sound, the blade slipping out of his grasp.

Not exactly what Kidd would have liked, but as it prevented Law from being manipulated into attacking him, it would have to do.

Doflamingo's grin stretched, the veins more prominent across his forehead at yet another unwanted pirate making an appearance.

"I think you made him mad." Kidd said, feeling slightly loopy from the wounds he'd been dealt. But he felt good, in a way, because he lifted a finger and flicked it at Doflamingo. "Repel."

It was satisfying to see Doflamingo's arm cut with the hunk of metal, but the shift in focus from Killer to Kidd himself wasn't the best thought out plan. The only thing Kidd had time to say was a rather hastily spat 'fuck' before Doflamingo was surging toward him. Not the most brilliant of plans. Perhaps Kidd should have listened to Law after all, and cut his losses.

Kidd snorted.

Fuck that. He wasn't going anywhere. Kidd would stay and fight, regardless of his wounds. He wouldn't go down so easily.

"Room."

Kidd grunted as he was suddenly on the ground a short distance away with Law, who had a hand to the back of his head and was grimacing. Apparently, Killer hadn't hit Law too hard, if the Heart Pirate was up after only a minute or so of being stuck.

"Ready to run yet?" Law asked with a weary bite. "Or are you in danger of losing too much blood if you try?"

"Killer didn't hit you hard enough." Kidd said conversationally.

It was good to see that middle finger, since it meant the fight hadn't gone out of Law completely yet. It was good, because the battle was far from over, and Doflamingo showed no signs of being worn down in the least bit. Not that Luffy cared as he made another attempt to hit Doflamingo.

Kidd laughed at the sight, not because it was funny, but because this was going to be harder than he thought it would be. That Law had come close to his side to press torn clothing to the stab wound was something Kidd was not at all comfortable dwelling on.

Nor was thinking about that damn scream Law had let out unexpectedly when Doflamingo made him swing his blade at the red head again.

So Kidd sent metal flying Doflamingo's way, as it seemed a better thing to dwell on then thinking about what had just happened. Kidd would just ignore the fact that he could have sworn he heard Law apologize as he pressed cloth to Kidd's back, attempting to stem the flow of blood there as well.

'Sorry.'

Sorry for stabbing Kidd, when the red haired captain was fairly certain Law wouldn't have given a damn doing it before they had crossed paths again after two years. Hell, even before they had been together in that inn room, and Kidd had almost gotten into a fight in the tavern before, goading Law by staring at him.

Kidd let his Devil Fruit power flare up to bring metal close to himself and Law, to prevent Doflamingo's attacks landing anywhere near them. The red head supposed, as he flicked metal back at Doflamingo in retaliation, that he couldn't really see himself harming Law on purpose.

Not anymore.

Wasn't that just a fucking weird thought to have on a battlefield?

At least someone, a certain straw hat wearing individual, was not so inclined to have any such thoughts, and was doing his best to pummel Doflamingo into the ground.

Kidd wheezed his appreciation of the sight, despite vaguely hearing Law telling him to stop laughing. Kidd couldn't help himself.

Luffy had his priorities straight, and it was high time for Law and Kidd to figure out their own priorities so that they didn't get themselves killed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I was struck with a lot of inspiration today for this fic after months and I couldn't stop writing so yay, update (shh totally skipped kidlaw stuff in the beginning of the chapter, for the most part, because it wasn't precisely a good idea, considering the circumstances. It will crop up later though). You can bet that I'm dragging Gear 4 into this, because it's high time Doflamingo started getting his ass kicked in return.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's happy to finally have an update for this fic?

Despite Luffy's best attempts to pummel the hell out of Doflamingo, the blond haired former warlord seemed more intent on getting to Law and Kidd, regardless of the barrier of metal that the red haired captain had thrown together. Every time Luffy launched an attack, Doflamingo either diverted it or sent back an attack of his own. Immediately after, Doflamingo would lash out at the metal, putting a dent in it, and getting a little closer to where Kidd and Law were hunkered down behind it.

Law didn't like being cornered like this. He did not like it one bit. There were too many variables, and if Kidd let his concentration down for a moment, Doflamingo would shred through the metal like it was paper. Targeting Kidd or himself afterwards would be far too easy, and Law didn't fancy being cut to ribbons, nor did he want to see a similar fate land on Kidd. Not when the other captain was obviously in too much pain to do much more than hold the last slivers of his energy on protecting the both of them. Law tried not to dwell on the fact that Kidd would be using up a lot less energy if he were only protecting himself.

"...Trafalgar?"

Despite the quiet denials Law offered himself, there really was no use denying that there had begun to be something between himself and Kidd, and it was certainly more than a convenient fuck or two. Because of that unspoken admission, Law was not at all comfortable thinking about the fact that he'd allowed himself to actually care about Kidd. There was no other reason why he was still on that battlefield and in control of his own body. If it wasn't for Kidd, and Killer, intervening, Law figured Doflamingo would have already beaten him down into submission. The Heart Pirate knew that he wouldn't have fought so damn hard to resist had Kidd not been there.

"You're frowning. S'not a good look on you." Kidd commented breathlessly from where he'd propped himself against piece of the mansion that had fallen onto the ground. Kidd vaguely waved a hand in the air, but before he could speak, the metal he'd pulled up was struck again. With a glare, Kidd resettled the metal bits, before he turned his amber gaze on Law once more, finding words this time, "Need to smile. Looks better on you."

"Hold still. I need to get a look at your collarbone." Law said, grabbing Kidd firmly by his right shoulder. He was not going to think about how he found Kidd's insistence that he smile...cute. No. Law was not going there but still...the sincerity with which Kidd had said it bordered on absurd. Their very lives were in danger and Kidd thought that he ought to be smiling after everything that had happened.

"Hmm, that annoyed look is okay too." Kidd assured Law, one hand reaching up to slow the Heart Pirate captain's inspection. "M'fine."

"No, you are not fine. Not at all. I ought to check you for a concussion as well." Law said crossly, shooing Kidd's hand away from his own and gingerly moving his right hand along, well aware that e probably shouldn't be moving it. But Kidd's other hand ensured that his left wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, what with Kidd grasping it with his own. "Hold  _still_ , I said." Law insisted, when Kidd moved again. "I have to know how deeply I cut you."

"Fucking shit." Kidd cursed, his right arm tensing beneath Law's grip. "Don't fucking touch that, asshole. Hurts." Kidd's head snapped up suddenly, startling Law, but there wasn't much the dark haired pirate could do when both of Kidd's arms suddenly wrapped around him, and the red haired captain threw them both to one side.

Law tried his best not to touch Kidd's wounds, but with how tightly Kidd held him, there wasn't a way to avoid it altogether.

"That...was close." Kidd wheezed, letting go of Law as he irritably yet weakly waved a hand at the metal again.

"What was?" Law asked, automatically assisting Kidd upright.

"That." Kidd said vaguely as he leaned against Law heavily in an attempt to remain upright.

A chill went through Law at the sight of a hole in the building Kidd had been propped against. A more distressing thought was that he was now covered with Kidd's blood from the way the other captain had held him, and it let Law know that Kidd was losing blood. It was a wonder the man was even conscious, let alone able to move and speak.

"Bastard found a weak spot." Kidd mumbled as he allowed Law to maneuver him a short distance so that he was rested against the farthest edge of the piece of the mansion. Kidd let out a faint huff of irritation as Law crowded in on him, gaze fixed on the red head's wounds. "Don't poke me again. Told you...hurts."

"I need to know how bad it is, Eustass-ya." Law said, turning his attention back to Kidd's injuries as a way to distract himself from the close call. Law tightened his hand on Kidd's shoulder as he moved from the right collar bone and then diagonally along the long injury, until he reached Kidd's waist. By then, Kidd was breathing raggedly, but apart from a curse here and there, Kidd didn't mention anything hurting again. Law figured it was something that the other captain would usually never admit aloud, so for Kidd to be comfortable enough to admit something like that to him…

"Shit, you done yet? Gonna pass out...if you keep touching it." Kidd said, his voice rough and pain-laced.

"Don't do that. Without that metal there, Doflamingo will slice us to pieces." Law warned, hand immediately moving away from Kidd's wound. "You're lucky, by the way. I managed to pull back when I attacked you. I will have to look even closer, but I don't believe I cut all the way through your collarbone."

"Doesn't mean it isn't still throbbing like a bitch...since it is cut to the bone. " Kidd grumbled, his breathing a little more uneven then before. "I can't believe you let him...mess with you like that."

"If by 'that' you mean Joker's Devil Fruit powers, I seem to recall you being in a similar position not too long before me." Law pointed out, stiffening when Kidd struggled away from the piece of building he'd been against to grip him roughly. Law held still, waiting to see what the other captain was doing. He doubted he had insulted the other man, and with a heavy, exasperated sigh, Law allowed Kidd to lean in up against him. After all, Law already had Kidd's blood on him. "What is it with you and your desire to smother me?"

"Must be 'cause I think you're...gonna run away all the time." Kidd managed with a short wheeze of laughter. The red haired captain's chin rested on Law's shoulder, his weight sagging against his fellow captain "What now? Besides kicking Doflamingo's ass...for this."

"Apart from getting you out of here before you bleed out, you mean?" Law shifted Kidd back as carefully as he could to contemplate the stab wound, as that was more worrying than the slash, despite how it may have looked. Law couldn't bring himself to look away from the hole the blade had made, because he knew if he looked at the other injury, he would see blood dripping down that pale skin. Hell, Law had already likely smeared it around after being pressed to the man's chest, and Law couldn't bring himself look up, as he knew he would see Kidd's expression drawn with barely concealed agony. Kidd could talk as big as he wanted, but Law knew that if he weren't around, Kidd may have done something foolish, and gotten himself killed. There was no way Kidd was moving anywhere on his own right now, and any further fighting was out of the question.

"Trafalgar?"

Law huffed something under his breath, before he tugged Kidd's sash free from beneath the belts, and used it to wrap around the stab wound. It needed pressure, and the cloth that had been pressed to it before had been lost at some point. Probably when Kidd had thrown them both out of harm's way. The wound continued to bleed, and Law's jaw set at that.

"Hey…liked that one." Kidd slurred, leaning against Law again. "Better get me another." The red haired captain's right hand curled around and down Law's back. "Or we could settle things once we get a room at an inn."

"You are incorrigible." Law groused, lighlty slapping the red head's upper back. "How can you think about sex right now when you're wounded?" Law cringed involuntarily at the shriek of metal from where another of Doflamingo's attacks connected.

"'Cause that beaten up look on you is sexy." Kidd's words were slurring together more often now, before he added with a childish scowl. "And you ruined my favorite sash."

"Ready to leave yet?" Law sighed when Kidd merely stayed put against him. "I'm sure your crewmate would be more than happy to get your sorry ass out of here before you get yourself killed. You are in no shape to fight right now." Law felt Kidd's right arm slip around the back of his waist. "You know I'm right."

"Fuck you and your fucking diagnosis." Kidd grumbled against Law's neck. "I told you I'm not missing out on a fight. Not gonna... let you and Straw Hat have all the fun."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why risk your life in a battle you can't win?" Law flinched when something struck the crude metal barrier Kidd had set up, and frowned when the red haired captain cursed under his breath. "Problem?"

"Problem? My problem is that that asshole made you injure me." Kidd wheezed, his breath uneven. "Ruining all…my fun."

"You're repeating yourself." Law eyed the metal, and found Doflamingo was making increasing breaks in it. Kidd wasn't going to be able to hold on for much longer. His concentration and strength were clearly waning. "You need to rest."

"Told you not to…shit-" Kidd spat out a series of curses before he collapsed against Law. "Dammit."

Law saw Doflamingo fending off another attack from Luffy through the breaks in the metal, and knew that he didn't have much time. Didn't have enough time to explain to Kidd why he needed him to leave. Didn't have time to think about the consequences of what he was about to say. All Law knew was that he needed Kidd out of harm's way, so that he could think more clearly, and not worry about Kidd getting himself killed or worry about why that would bother the Heart Pirate captain in the first place.

"Room." Law grit out, making it as large as he could manage without losing the concentration and stamina required to keep it up. It was now or never, and Law knew that he was unlikely to get another opportunity.

"What're…you doing?" Kidd demanded, his right arm tightening around Law's waist as if sensing the other captain's intentions. "Don't you do anything stupid, Trafalgar."

"You're not thinking clearly, Eustass-ya, and your wounds will only slow you down the longer you push your body. It'll make you an easy target." Law said firmly, drawing back from Kidd and freeing himself from the other's hold. "I'm getting you out of here."

"I'll fucking kill you." Kidd growled lowly, bristling visibly when Law reached out and slid his hands into Kidd's hair on either side of his face.

"You won't." Law said in return, because he knew, as Kidd probably did, that neither of them was likely ever to try to do the other lasting harm. Not anymore. Law didn't know when that had changed, but it had happened, and there was no turning back once this was all over with.

"Will." Kidd said sullenly, not able to think of anything else with the way Law was absently caressing his fingertips through his hair.

"I won't lose someone I love again. It happened too many times in the past. I won't allow it to happen. Not when I can do something about it. I couldn't protect anyone years ago, but things have changed." Then, not really tracking why Kidd was gaping at him in surprise, Law leaned in close and pressed his lips firmly against the other captain's. Law felt Kidd's arm shakily go around his waist before the red haired captain was squeezing him up against his wounded torso again. It was a desperate kiss. Not slow and unhurried like some of their kisses on Fiesta Island had been. No, Law was kissing Kidd right now like his life depended on it, and mainly because Law didn't know what was going to happen once he sent Kidd away.

"Asshole." Kidd breathed out hoarsely when Law drew away from him. "Why'd you say you-"

"Don't die, Eustass-ya." Law cut in, before he made a motion with his fingers. Despite Kidd cursing him out, Law swapped the red head with a rock that was as close to shore as the dark haired captain could get him. Law dropped the room almost immediately, and threw himself to one side as several strings tore through the remainder of the metal now that Kidd wasn't holding it with his power. The swap from one place to another must have broken the red haired captain's concentration. As Law righted himself, he knew that Kidd would be pissed for what he had done, but Law really didn't need to present Doflamingo with another opportunity to manipulate the red head, and especially not when Kidd was injured as badly as he had been.

"Trafalgar! What did you do to Kidd?" Killer demanded from across the clearing, where he had been fending off the string clone of Doflamingo's.

"Sent him near the shoreline where Straw Hat's ship is." Law said, nodachi back in hand as he warily watched Doflamingo send the string clone his way instead. The real thing was currently dealing with Luffy's continued attempts to punch his lights out. Straw Hat was certainly persistent.

Killer immediately left the area now that he wasn't being attacked; the man wasn't under any obligation to help Law anyhow. The Surgeon of Death didn't care that he had been left behind. Law felt that it was more important that the man see to Kidd, and make sure that his captain didn't do anything stupid. Like try to come back to join in on the fight.

Law had a feeling that Kidd would try to make it back and could only hope that Killer would make it in time to intercept him.

"It doesn't matter how far away you send anyone, Law." The clone Doflamingo taunted, "I'll just go find them and deal with them once I'm through with Straw Hat and yourself."

Law lifted Kikoku up in time to block a five color string attack, and dug in a foot to keep his nodachi up and blocking the attack. His wounded right arm shook at the pressure being used to counter the attack, and Law bit his lip, vainly trying to ignore the fact that he could tell that he was weakening. But his favoring of his arm didn't go unnoticed, and when the string clone backed away, it slashed down, and Law couldn't help but let out a pained cry as he couldn't fully block the attack with his blade, and the string cut deeply into his shoulder. The brief dropping of his guard allowed another attack in, and Law choked as he was seized around neck by a large hand. The lack of air, coupled with the shock of being caught so suddenly caused Law to lose his grip on his nodachi. Dimly, the dark haired captain heard it hit the ground, but then he was flying through the air, and it took a moment for him to realize what had happened.

"You're a fool, Law." Doflamingo taunted, his voice sounding further away.

The agony flared up the moment Law hit the side of the ruined mansion, the hard knock taking him to the ground. A partially stunned Law lay where he had fallen, struggling to piece together what had just happened.

Had Doflamingo's string clone really just thrown him?

"I think I'll have you kill Penguin, as well as anyone else who happens to be around, Law." The veins on the sting clone Doflamingo's forehead increased as the grin sharpened. "You pushed things too far, brat. Death is going to be the least of your worries. I'll keep you around until you lose your usefulness, and then I'll be able to give the op op fruit to someone who'll obey me."

"Leave Tra-guy alone!"

Law raised his head the moment he heard Straw Hat's voice, and watched, with some satisfaction, as Luffy's attack tore through the string clone like it was nothing.

"He's coming back with me." Luffy stated as he turned to face the real Doflamingo, who stood across the clearing.

"Law isn't going to go anywhere but with me, and perhaps even an early grave if this continues." Doflamingo looked even more pissed off than usual, what with the nasty grin stretched as far as it could go.

"You'll have to go through me first." Luffy retorted, looking ready for another round.

Still gasping in quick breaths, Law painfully dragged himself over to where his nodachi had fallen, and closed a hand around its hilt. With his free hand, Law gingerly massaged his throat, even as he watched, surprised, as Luffy slammed into Doflamingo across the clearing. It wasn't a particularly hard hit, but it was enough to throw Doflamingo briefly off balance, and further enrage the larger man. Law settled on his ass and shakily held his blade up, wondering if he even had enough stamina to be useful and not a hindrance to Straw Hat. Law wouldn't put it past Doflamingo to try and manipulate him again with his powers.

As Law watched the fight begin to unfold, the dark haired captain couldn't help but feel that this was going to be difficult. If they had any chance of leaving this island all in one piece, then the fight was going to have to go better than it had on Dressrosa. Law knew that he perhaps should have made himself scarce, but his body was slow to move and respond after hitting the wall moments before. So when Law felt his body begin to move of its own accord, he made a futile attempt to resist the feeling. Because Law was uncertain at this point if Doflamingo was going to force him to fight Luffy, or if the man was through with him and wanted Law to harm himself.

Law closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. Either way, it was going to hurt.

-x-x-x-

"Fuck." Kidd cursed vehemently as he suddenly found himself on the ground with the sound of the sea very close by. He didn't particularly care that he was close to safety because he was more concerned with the fact that fucking Trafalgar had actually sent him away from a damn fight. What the hell was the man thinking, making decisions for him like that? Kidd might have lost a hold of his powers briefly, but that hadn't meant he couldn't hold out in a battle for a while longer. And when Law said he wasn't going to lose someone he loved…had the other captain really mean him?

"Son of a bitch." Kidd was going to kick Law's ass when he saw him next. Who the fuck confessed something like that on a battlefield and then sent the other person on their way before they could ever get a word in edgewise? And since when had Law ever shown that he cared about the red haired captain in that way…

Kidd sucked in a harsh breath as he thought things over, right hand absently pressing the sash tied about the stab wound. Law had been going on about protecting Penguin, but when they'd been on the island to let Law cool his heels…Law had drugged him. He had done so to try and protect Kidd from Doflamingo. Kidd frowned, slowing to a limp as he missed over Fiesta Island next. Had Law really swapped everyone's bodies just to protect Kidd and Penguin? Law sure as hell had weird ways to show his affections…including muffling his voice to prevent Doflamingo from hearing him that one time when the bastard had called Law.

What the hell?

Kidd reconsidered kicking Law's ass, and resolved right there that he would fuck that ass into oblivion instead. Then he could get around to the embarrassing as hell questions about Law's sudden declaration that he didn't want to lose someone he loved. Because Kidd was the only person around at the time, so Law sure as hell hadn't meant Penguin. Kidd didn't even think that Law had the capacity to love someone, what with all the sarcasm and the occasional cold shoulder, but then again, Kidd didn't think he would ever actually give a shit about someone, and perhaps that was his own form of love.

Fuck.

Kidd was in love with Law, wasn't he?

Shit.

Kidd was not going there right now. He needed to focus. Battle. He needed to go beat the shit out of Doflamingo. Yeah. That was what he was going to do. All he had to do was focus on that and he would be perfectly fine.

But that fucking kiss Law had given him…

Kidd scowled. That kiss had smacked of desperation and Kidd didn't particularly want to think of it as a good-bye kiss because fuck that. He was going to corner Law and demand what in the hell was going on in that head of his. Kidd briefly halted his walk, hissing as pain shot up from his abdomen and his collarbone. Damn. His body hurt like hell, being all banged up, not to mentioned slashed and stabbed. But Kidd wasn't going to let Law make decisions for him. No, Kidd would make his own damn decisions about what he could and couldn't do. He was a captain too, dammit.

"Shit." Kidd uttered as he forced himself to move in the direction of the broken down mansion on Fang Island. With every step came a wince, but Kidd stubbornly ignored the discomfort of his injuries, bound and determined to throw himself back into the fight regardless of the outcome.

"Kidd. Stop."

Kidd heard Killer speak, but chose to ignore him. He wasn't about to let his crewmate stop him now. He needed to get to Law and make sure that the Surgeon of Death was still alive and kicking so that he could tear into him with a shit ton of questions that may or may not require a round in bed to answer.

"Kidd, I know you can hear me."

"Don't get in my way, Killer. I ain't stittin' out of this fight." Kidd wheezed, right hand going to where Law had stabbed him. Damn. The wound hadn't stopped bleeding.

"You aren't in any shape to fight, and you know it." Killer was standing in front of him now.

Kidd hadn't realized that he had stopped walking in the first place, nor that Killer had moved so quickly to catch up with him.

"Luffy is in better shape than either you or Law. So let him try and slow Doflamingo down."

"Where's the fun in letting someone else do the work for you?" Kidd demanded, even as he swayed in place. Suddenly, his crewmate being right alongside him to steady him wasn't the worst thing that could happen. Kidd really didn't want to fall flat on his face or something equally embarrassing like that. "Let go of me, Killer."

"No, Kidd. I know you want to go back and fight but Law did you a favor by sending you away from that fight."

Kidd snarled wordlessly at that and made the attempt to walk past his crewmate, only to have Killer's hand ride harder around his upper right arm. The moment Kidd turned to lash out at his crewmate with the metal of his left hand, Kidd suddenly found his legs swept from beneath him and with a rush of air, Kidd found himself flat on his back. Kidd didn't acknowledge that his crewmate had been careful not aggravate his wounds as much as possible when restraining him.

"Fuck. Get off of me, you son of a bitch," Kidd snarled up at his crewmate. "I can fight just fine."

"And yet I was able to take you down without you getting a hit in." Killer replied, sounding immensely patient as he tried to reason with his hot headed captain. "Do you really want to be used against Luffy or Law again? I can almost guarantee that Doflamingo will find a way to use you against the others. You aren't in any shape to have your body moved around like Law's had been."

Kidd shoved his crewmate's hand off his shoulder, and shakily sat up, scowling when he saw a dust plume rise in the distance. Kidd briefly glanced up at his crewmate, before looking away as he mumbled in the direction of the ground.

"…Any chance you can make sure Trafalgar doesn't get his ass kicked?" Kidd didn't dare look at his crewmate. "Got unfinished business with him. Can't have him dying on me."

Killer tactfully didn't ask what kind of unfinished business, before he half turned, as something had clearly caught his attention.

"Over there, Kidd." Killer said after a moment, as he indicated something in the distance.

Kidd spotted what his crewmate was pointing at.

A few of Law's crewmates were making their way toward the center of the island.

"It looks like they have a similar idea."

Kidd wasn't so sure; even they could be subject to Doflamingo's Devil Fruit powers. And that still didn't solve the problem that Kidd wanted to go back and kick that grinning bastard's ass, but with Killer keeping a close eye on him, and dropping hints that they should get of the island, Kidd doubted he was going to get to have any fun now.

Dammit.

Kidd hated that his crewmate ruined all of his fun, even if Killer was just trying to keep his stupid ass alive. But this time around, Kidd wasn't concerned about whether he would make it out alive or not. No, what horrified Kidd was that he was actually worried about Law making it out alive. As Kidd turned his head in the direction of the ongoing fight, Kidd couldn't help but mutter under his breath, echoing a statement near-identical to the one Law had used earlier.

"Don't you die either, Trafalgar."

And with that whisper, Kidd knew that he was fucked and that there was no use denying that he actually was invested in Law not dying. Kidd had not set out that one evening, whci seemed like such a long time ago, to get into a relationship. And yet that appeared to be exactly what he was getting out of his continued interactions with Law.

Fuck.

-x-x-x-

Luffy wasn't letting up on his singular goal of trying to attack Doflamingo with repeated swings of his fists. Only now, things had begun to get even trickier, because Doflamingo was resorting to underhanded tactics. Those tactics involved the use of his Devil Fruit powers on Law to force the Surgeon of Death to intercept Straw Hat's attacks, and prevent any injury to Doflamingo. Every time that Luffy seemed to get close to landing a solid hit, Law was suddenly there, blocking the strike with Kikoku, whether it be a kick or a punch.

It hurt, blocking those forceful attacks, and Law was beginning to get concerned that he was losing feeling in his right arm. Law ground his teeth together as Doflamingo forced him to continue to prevent another few swings Luffy took at the former warlord, before Law let out a pained gasp.

"Fufufu. Something the matter, Law?" Doflamingo chuckled, flexing his fingers in the Heart Pirate captain's. "I guess you're still useful after all."

"Shut up, mingo!" Luffy yelled, coming in from the other direction and swinging his foot.

"Jet Stamp."

Pain flooded Law's mind, temporarily disorienting him as his nodachi was knocked from his grasp as Luffy's attack hit his right arm dead on.

"Ah! Sorry, Tra-guy!" Luffy apologized as he landed and immediately launched another strike. "Jet punch."

Law couldn't even make a sound as Doflamingo didn't bother moving him in the way of the attack with his powers; no, the blond haired pirate just seized him and brought Law up to block the strike with the Heart Pirate captain's own body. The force of the punch caused Law to choke out an agonized cry, but apart from that, hung limp from Doflamingo's grasp. It hurt too much to try to struggle free, and Law's abdomen was in complete agony from where Luffy had struck him.

More apologies tumbled out of Luffy's mouth, the Straw Hat Pirate clearly upset for striking his friend, but Law couldn't hear anything. Couldn't see anything but Doflamingo's grinning visage from out of the corner of his eyes.

"What's the matter, Straw Hat? I thought you were going to kick my ass." Doflamingo hefted Law up, but this time, Luffy managed to prevent himself from striking the wounded pirate, and backed off to get a new angle to attack from.

Law was too worn out at this point to protest Doflamingo's treatment of his wounded body. He hurt and his body was screaming its protests of him even twitching his right hand at this point. It was more than likely that Doflamingo was just going to keep using his body as a barrier between himself and Straw Hat.

"Leave him alone!" Luffy shouted from somewhere nearby. "Can't you see that he can't fight anymore?"

Law missed Doflamingo's response, mainly due to the fact that his heart was racing and he was gasping for breath after being forced to endure so much punishment. First by Doflamingo manipulating him with his Devil Fruit powers and then again when Doflamingo just seized him and moved his body about like a rag doll, not bothering with the powers any more. Somewhere in the back of his pained filled mind, Law knew he had to get away. To remove himself from the situation so that Luffy would have a chance to fight Doflamingo without having to divert his attacks, or accidentally hit an ally.

"R…room." Law whispered hoarsely, fighting against his exhaustion as he tried to call on his powers, but he could only manage a room around himself. The concentration was nearly broken when Doflamingo tsked from overhead, and a string clipped Law's already badly wounded right arm with a string. Law's pathetic excuse of a room wavered, before it dropped instantaneously the moment Doflamingo carelessly let him drop to the ground, a large foot pressing Law face down on the ground.

"What was that, Law? I thought I told you not to bother trying to resist."

Law held perfectly still, but he did issue a weak trickle of laughter into the ground, which earned him another painful clip to his already torn to shreds right arm. Law was surprised the limb hadn't lost all feeling yet, but he pushed through the pain momentarily, and smirked faintly. The agony was worth what was headed Doflamingo's way. While Law may not have been able to remove himself from the fight, he had given Luffy what he had needed.

An opening.

"Mingo!"

Law was only disappointed that he didn't get to see Doflamingo being flung away by Luffy with whatever attack he had landed, but he certainly heard Doflamingo taunt Straw Hat from further away.

"It's pointless to continue to throw attacks at me, Straw Hat. You know that this is only going to be a repeat of Dressrosa." Doflamingo taunted. "Whether or not you stop me from using Law as a shield is irrelevant. He isn't leaving this island with anyone but me."

"Shut up! The only one not leaving this island is you!" Apparently, Luffy had had enough of Doflamingo's games. "You're interfering with my adventure, and hurting my friends. I'm taking Law back with me!"

"It isn't any of your business what I do with Law." Doflamingo said dismissively, as he sent a couple Bullet String attacks Luffy's way. "He used to work for me, so I have more of a right to decide what to do with him."

"You don't get to decide what he can do," Luffy said in return, "You injured one of his crew."

"Penguin? He's probably dead by now." Dofamingo said carelessly.

"If he's with Chopper, he won't let him die." Luffy said, confident in his crewmate's skills as a doctor.

"Then I'll jut have to go make sure Penguin isn't breathing any longer. That was my intent from the beginning, once I brought Law on my ship." Dofalmingo said off-handedly.

Anger coursed through Law at the threats being spoken casually about Penguin, but there was nothing he could do to prevent Doflamingo from following through on those threats. The Heart Pirate captain certainly wasn't in any shape to fight, so all Law could do was hope that Luffy was up to the challenge.

"I'm gonna kick your ass, mingo." Luffy declared, sounding completely confident in his ability to do so.

Doflamingo laughed ominously in return.

"I won't let you hurt Law again." Luffy added, without looking away from Doflamingo.

"That isn't for you to decide." Doflamingo said, flexing his fingers. "In fact, I think you'll find that he will do as I say. Not that he has much choice, of course."

Law bit back tortured cry as he felt Doflamingo's power start to settle around him and force his exhausted body into movement. When Law's hand closed around Kikoku's hilt, his shoulders slumped.

This needed to end.

' _Eustass-ya…'_  Perhaps Law wouldn't get to see the other captain after all. It seemed like Doflamingo had finally decided that he had lost most of his usefulness, and that letting Law soak up the punishment meant for Doflamingo was about the last thing he was good for. Anger continued to simmer beneath the fatigue, but Law couldn't force himself to care enough to try and stop the humiliation that Doflamingo was visiting on him. Until he heard Luffy yell something, and Doflamingo's hold was suddenly lost. Law's body crumpled to the ground, free of the former blond haired warlord's powers. With the little remaining strength Law had left in him, the Heart Pirate captain propped himself up with his left arm to see what had happened.

Luffy's fist was on fire before it vanished, indicating that Doflamingo had yet again been hit with one of Luffy's Red Hawk attacks. Or, perhaps, Doflamingo had been forced to lose control over Law's body in order to block the attack. From the not very singed appearance, Law was betting the latter. Law couldn't do much more than feel dread when Doflamingo's head turned in his direction, but his vision of the older man was obscured by Luffy standing in front of him, as if to block the other man from doing anything further to harm or humiliate him.

"Stop getting in my way, Straw Hat. Law sealed his fate the moment he agreed to trade himself for the lives of his crew." Doflamingo flexed his fingers. "He has no choices left to make."

"Shut up. We all get to make our own choices." Luffy shifted his stance. "And mine is to kick your ass so that you won't hurt my friends anymore."

Law closed his eyes at the sight of Doflamingo's grin stretching wide as the man slashed his hand down and sent several strings the immobile pirate's way. This was it. There was no mistaking that for what it was. Doflamingo had reached the point where he would rather have Law dead and not of use to anyone at all. When it didn't connect, Law's eyes snapped open in surprise, and found that Luffy had batted the attack away with an armament hardened fist, not moving from his place in front of Law.

"Your opponent is me, mingo." Luffy planted his feet firmly on the ground. "Leave Law alone."

"Make me, brat." Doflamingo grinned nastily. "Law won't be leaving this island of his own volition. And neither will you." Doflamingo raised a hand, palm out. "Over heat."

"I won't let you hurt Law again..." Luffy batted the whip like attack away as the black haired teen's eyes fixed on Doflamingo, "…and I won't let you get in my way anymore." Luffy raised his left arm level with his face.

"Gear Four."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, it was such a pain in the ass to not be able to be in the right mood to write for this fanfic. I've been driving myself crazy over leaving fics unfinished, but it is really hard to write for something when motivation is low, people's interest in the pairing or characters is low (or when writer's block hits at very inconvenient times).
> 
> Sorry about it taking nearly a whole damn year, but I haven't forgotten about this story, as I am weirdly fond of this particular fic. I just wanted to make as good a chapter as I am able to (Using Dressrosa fights against Doflamingo for references for what Luffy's doing at the end of this chapter). I thought he'd be already kicking Doflamingo's ass by now, but apparently Kidd and and Law wanted more time in the chapter so the fight has been moved to the next chapter.
> 
> And speaking of the next chapter, I'm happy to say that I do have a more solid outline for it, and a completed summary for the remainder of the fic that I tweaked a month or so ago. It took some time, but my interest in this fic has been rekindled after a slump, so it is my hope that I can get at least one more chapter up for this fic this year (maybe two if I'm lucky) and then it's my goal to finish this fic by early next year.
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter! I hope it was worth the wait and again, I apologize for it taking so long to update for those of you who enjoy this fic.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays to those who celebrate it. I bring you all a new chapter, with the beginning of more Law torment toward the end of it.

Gear Four...

Law couldn't help but faintly smile to himself from where he'd propped himself up on the ground. He should have know that Luffy would have had some new attack to fall back on, since his other attacks were not getting him anywhere. It wasn't surprising, really. On Dressrosa, Luffy had been too worn down to put up much of a fight after Doflamingo's trickery. It seemed like Luffy had been serious about being able to kick Doflamingo's ass. And now, months after the events on Dressrosa, Straw Hat was finally able to get around to defeating Doflamingo like he had said he could.

"Your body has certainly gotten bigger." Doflamingo commented with a snigger, clearly not finding Straw Hat's display impressive.

Law flopped onto his side to rest his wounded body, but continued to stare at the sight, and frowned at Straw Hat. Luffy was certainly using haki with whatever he had doneâ€¦but it looked as if he were using a great deal of it from the haki displayed on his skin.

Too much.

Law highly doubted that Luffy would be able to use his current form for very long, and from the look on Doflamingo's face, the older warlord figured similarly. Law began to inch toward his nodachi, thinking that he may have to intervene if necessary, despite feeling like absolute and utter shit. His hand closed around Kikoku's hilt, and Law kept himself low to the ground, not willing to ease himself into an upright position lest the movement catch Doflamingo's attention. The Surgeon of Death was still in a great deal of pain from being used as a shield between Doflamingo and Straw Hat, and Luffy's punches and kicks that had landed hurt badly.

"Don't go anywhere." Doflamingo's string tore up the ground in front of Law, causing the Heart Pirate to flinch back. "I'm surprised you're not unconscious yet."

Law ground his teeth but settled on the ground, his hand tight around his weapon's hilt. He didn't want to give in to the older man, but Law couldn't deny that he was not in the best of shape, and any wrong move on his part would invite a world of pain. Law chanced a look up, and saw that Doflamingo's attention was back on Straw Hat. Law was going to have to wait for a chance to make his own move, and for now, with Doflamingo so close, he didn't want to risk being used as a human shield again.

To Law's luck, Doflamingo seemed to be far more interested in belittling Luffy for his current display of power than doing anything about the Heart Pirate lying on his side.

-x-x-x-

"Gear Four?" Doflamingo grinned as he observed Luffy's rubbery body that had haki flaring in patterns along Straw Hat's skin. Doflamingo laughed outright at the sight of Luffy bouncing up and down, the former warlord's smile stretching painfully wide. "I guess you had an ace up your sleeve after all, but what is this? You can't even hold still now with that rubbery body of yours." Doflamingo flexed his fingers contemplatively. "Are you even taking this seriously, Straw Hat?"

"I am taking this seriously. I'm gonna kick your ass." Luffy said, as he braced one of his fists. "I just needed more power and resiliency to defeat a monster like you."

"I'll show you a monster, Straw Hat Luffy." Doflamingo frowned briefly at the sight of Luffy's fist going backward into his arm as the younger pirate readied some kind of attack. Doflamingo's smile returned full force. His opponent's rubbery body was strange as usual. "And what edge would power and resiliency possibly give you against me?"

"Shut up, Mingo." Luffy hit the ground and launched himself forward. "You won't have any time to fight back!"

"Brat." Doflamingo spat as he brought his arms up to guard against the oncoming strike. "I'll kill you for your impertinence." The former warlord's feet dug into the ground, but Doflamingo had not expected the punch Luffy landed against his armament crossed arms to be so forceful.

"Mingo!"

Straw Hat's attack was so forceful that Doflamingo lost his footing and was hurled backward as if he were no more than a tiny fly. Grinding his teeth as he went flying backward, Doflamingo moved his hands in order to protect his head. The former warlord had not anticipated for Straw Hat's punch to be so powerful that it sent him not only through the ruined building at the center of the island, but all the way to the opposite end of the island, where he went through several buildings of the port. Remarkably, the port was entirely abandoned. That didn't particularly matter to Doflamingo, as he hit the sand of the shore and rolled several times before he came to a halt. Spitting out blood, Doflamingo clenched the sand beneath him, furious that he'd allowed Straw Hat to toss him like that, before he staggered to his feet.

"He sure flung me quite a distance." Doflamingo murmured to himself, gaging just how far he'd been thrown. The former warlord began to grin.

Interesting.

Doflamingo hadn't realized that Straw Hat Luffy had been holding back in their battle on Dressrosa. But it didn't matter, as the outcome would be the same, yet more deadly for those involved. All Doflamingo had to do was take the hits as best he could, and wait for Luffy to run out of haki. There was no way that much of a boost in power would last the brat very long, and once Straw Hat Luffy did lose his haki, that was when Doflamingo would strike him down.

"Rhino Schneider!"

Doflamingo didn't even see the strike come. One moment he was on his feet, scanning the trees before him for signs of Luffy; the next, he was flying backward into the shallow waters of the shoreline, after being kicked in the face by Straw Hat. Doflamingo shook his now drenched feathery coat off of his shoulders, and brought up an arm in time to block another punch from Luffy. It sent Doflamingo back through the sand a few paces, but he'd managed to prevent Luffy from flinging him again. The attack had put him closer to the trees and some of the port buildings. With a sharp smile, Doflamingo decided to put the pressure on the other pirate.

"Mingo!"

Doflamingo narrowly dodged to one side, missing another punch, before he pressed both hands into the grass he'd landed on, brow scrunching in concentration even as he wore a smile.

Straw Hat Luffy wouldn't know what hit him.

-x-x-x-

Luffy launched punches and kicks Doflamingo's way, and when those were blocked, geared up for another, more powerful strike. Luffy did take note of the way the grass beneath Doflamingo's hands, along with the nearby trees and some of the port building, became a mass of strings. Luffy immediately bounced out of the way of the string as Doflamingo launched it at him, sensing the danger.

"Billow White." Doflamingo growled as he moved his hands sharply.

Luffy changed directions and bounced away out of range of the mass of string that nearly threatened to enclose him. It was yet another different kind of attack from Doflamingo, but Luffy didn't care what it was. All he knew was that he needed to defeat the former warlord, so it didn't matter what kind of attack the older pirate chose to use against him. Luffy just needed to get to Doflamingo and continue to pummel him over and over.

"How long are you able to use so much haki, Straw Hat?" Doflamingo taunted, the palm of his hand outstretched to block Luffy's punch with a large web of string. "Once you lose hold of it, killing you will be simple enough, and then I will go crush Law's skull."

"I told you that I won't let you hurt Tra-guy anymore!" Luffy bounced back from the web, before he launched himself into the air with a kick off of the ground.

"You won't let me?" Doflamingo laughed, as he used his Devil Fruit power to pursue Luffy into the sky. "Then try and stop me, brat!"

Luffy knew that he had to end things before he ran out of haki. Even now, he could feel the exhaustion setting in from using so much of his haki. As Doflamingo drew closer, Luffy pulled back both his fists, waiting for the former warlord to get closer, before he launched himself down toward Doflamingo.

"Gum Gum Leo Bazooka!"

Two large fists struck Doflamingo's arms, where the other pirate had crossed them, but the force with which Luffy hit Doflamingo sent the older pirate spiraling down just to one side of the center of the island. Luffy hopped through the air after Doflamingo, but before the Straw Hat captain could make sure that he had actually defeated his opponent, he ran out of haki. With an exhale of air, Luffy lost hold of his Gear Four form, and fell down to the ground below, exhausted and unable to move.

-x-x-x-

Law had watched Luffy send Doflamingo flying, and spent a few moments seriously considering whether or not he could move. On the other hand, lying on the ground and waiting for Doflamingo to possibly come back was out of the question. Law ground his teeth as he forced himself upright with Kikoku, and began to stagger in what he hoped was the direction of Straw Hat's ship. Law had no idea where the sheathe for his nodachi had gotten to, but it was a moot point with the threat of death looming over him. His hat was missing too, though Law was so worn out and in pain that he honestly couldn't even remember whether he had been wearing it before coming to Fang Island.

"Dammit." Law sucked in a quick breath of air as took another step, wincing as Luffy's earlier punches and kicks settled into a dull ache. Law couldn't fault Luffy for hitting him, as Doflamingo was very good at manipulating people and their emotions. That didn't mean that it didn't still hurt quite a lot. Law hadn't gotten very far when he was nearly thrown over by a heavy impact some distance away that shook the entire island. Law pulled up short when Luffy hit the ground near him, worn out and unmoving.

"Straw Hat?" Law tottered over to where the other captain had fallen. "Why did you come here Straw Hat-ya? What were you thinking?" Law demanded, even as he knelt down and set his blade aside as he attempted to get Luffy to his feet. "Doflamingo wants only me. Why must everyone keep interfering? You would all have been safe, for the time being, anyway, until he chose to pursue you." Law didn't get to hear Luffy's response, because another voice that shouted to him from a distance away seized his full attention.

"Captain!"

Law halted what he was doing, hand dropping from Luffy's shoulder as he half turned. The only thing that kept him from scolding his own crew was the shock of seeing them running toward him in the first place. At the very least it was not his entire crew, but a few of them was still one too many. And Law doubted that Luffy had been able to defeat Doflamingo so easily. Delay him, more like, which put everyone on that island in danger.

"Captain." Shachi had been the one to shout. When the red haired Heart Pirate halted next to Law, he shook his head at the beaten-up state the other man was in. "You really have to stop getting wounded, captain. We're going to run out of medical supplies at this rate."

"I'm sure Doflamingo will be amendable to letting up on injuring me." Law said in return, unable to keep the sarcastic tone out of his voice. "Surely he wouldn't want to make me procure more supplies."

"It's good to hear you be more like yourself." Shachi said with a smile. "We were worried you'd lost your sense of humor."

"It was merely taking a break." Law said, as he reached over for his nodachi. Law made no protest when Shachi got his left arm over his shoulders, and helped him to his feet. Law couldn't think of anything to say, so he merely gave a grateful nod to his crew-mate. With a glance down at Luffy, Law turned his attention to Bepo. "Help Straw Hat."

"Aye aye, captain!"

Law set his jaw as he and his crew-mates headed toward the shoreline where Straw Hat's ship was anchored, and likely his own, as several scenarios played through his head, none of which Law wanted to entertain. They might make it to the ship, and could sail away, but that wouldn't prevent Doflamingo from chasing after them. The skies were cloudy, and that would provide Doflamingo with easy access to them all. Law's submarine could go beneath the water's surface, and could fit all of them, even if it would be cramped. But that would only delay Doflamingo from finding them, and Law knew without a doubt that Luffy would not abandon the Thousand Sunny. By the time Law caught sight of the shoreline, his musings were cut short by another concern.

Kidd.

That stupid bastard hadn't gone to the ship like Law hoped he might have, and the Surgeon of Death eyed Killer with an unfriendly look as he and Shachi drew closer to them. Law would have thought that Killer would have been interested in getting his captain out of harm's way. Apparently, Kidd would get his way as a captain, despite the fact that staying was not at all in his best interest if he wanted to live.

"Hey, Trafalgar." Kidd greeted with a weary grin. His abdomen was still bleeding from beneath the sash that Law had tied there earlier, and Kidd's chest was a mass of blood, fresh and congealed, seeping sluggishly from the blade wound across his chest.

"I thought I sent you closer to Straw Hat's ship so that you would leave." Law said flatly, even as he eyed Kidd's injuries, and marveled at the fact that the younger captain wasn't down and out. But the fact that Kidd was still alive was a...relief, really. Law carefully chose not to dwell on why he felt that way. "You should be resting."

"And miss out on the fun?" The red haired captain asked with a bigger grin, though he didn't manage to hide a grimace. "Hell no." The red haired captain didn't seem put off in the least bit at Law's cold greeting, and from the amusement dancing in those amber eyes, Kidd obviously knew that Law was relieved to see him alive and breathing.

The island shuddered and waves splashed the shoreline, signaling that there was one very pissed off man on the island who wished to murder all of them in the most violent manner possible.

Law's head turned sharply, before he looked up, as that was the most likely angle Doflamingo would choose to attack from. Law's heart sunk at the sight that greeted his eyes instead, because he knew exactly what it was that he was seeing. The string shooting up into the sky meant that Doflamingo was very far from being defeated. Law knew he had only moments to act, and, drawing on as much strength as he was able to in that moment, created a room large enough to send his crew-mates into the shallow waters ahead, though much to his chagrin, Luffy flopped out of Bepo's grasp, narrowly missing being skewered by string that had been falling from overhead.

On the wrong side of the strings, trapping the immobilized Straw Hat as well.

"Is that what he did before when we found you with the vivre card?" Shachi asked nervously as he reached out for the string.

"Stop. Don't touch it." Law's shoulders slumped marginally when his red haired crew-mate dropped his hand abruptly. "Get to the ship. Have everyone ready to sail away in case the navy shows up." Law retrieved his nodachi and struggled upright, leaning against it for support. The Heart Pirate captain held up his right hand shakily to forestall argument. "Don't argue. Go. Penguin needs to be seen to." Law shook his head at the myriad of complaints rising from his crew, the words overlapping and making no sense. "I will do my best to survive, as all of you are so insistent that I do so." Law indicated the string separating them. "Look for the strings to vanish. That will let you know that we have either won or died."

"Stick to winning, Law." Shachi said shakily. "None of us want you dead."

Law offered a shadow of his usual smirk. "Go." The Surgeon of Death watched his crew do so, though reluctantly. Law lifted his gaze to the sky, and the cage of strings he was trapped within. A haunted look crossed Law's eyes before he spoke in a whisper. "Either we defeat Doflamingo or we all die. There's no running from this fight now."

"I can...kick Mingo's ass." Luffy wheezed out from the ground. "Just got to...recover my haki...eight minutes left."

"Shit. That's a long time to avoid that asshole." Kidd muttered from nearby. The red haired captain appeared to be thinking about something, before he shrugged and glanced at Killer. "Hey, carry Straw Hat. I can still run." Kidd turned his gaze on Law, brow furrowing at the way the Heart Pirate swayed. "What about you, Trafalgar?"

Law pointedly ignored what looked like concern in Kidd's eyes and merely nodded his head wearily. "I can stay upright with Kikoku. Let's go."

Running while injured didn't seem like such a good idea a minute later. But running seemed a better option than trying to fight Doflamingo when none of them were in any shape to be fighting. Law was surprised that Kidd could even move with his injuries, let alone run. The Heart Pirate captain figured that adrenaline factored in there somewhere, which explained why he himself was still able to move. Law's worries about injuries flew away when he heard Doflamingo's voice call out from behind them, cold rage coloring every word.

"I'm going to kill you last, Law, and you'll wish you'd never been born by the time I'm through with you."

Law stumbled and almost fell over, and was startled when Kidd was suddenly there to catch and steady him. Law glanced at the other pirate out of the corner of his eye, wondering why Kidd had stopped running. It would have been easy to merely leave him behind, as Doflamingo made it quite clear that Law would be the last to die. The Heart Pirate's exhaustion had caught up to him, and he doubted he was going to be moving very quickly anymore. "Go." Law insisted, pressing his left hand against the arm Kidd had around his waist. "Go, before Joker-ya kills you."

"No." Kidd said simply, and refused to move from where he stood.

"What are you doing, Kidd? Run!" Killer pulled up short when he noticed his captain had gone back to help Law.

"I can manage on my own, Killer." Kidd said gruffly, his metal arm still around Law's waist. The red haired captain pointedly ignored Law's quiet demands for him to leave, and spoke to his crew-mate instead. "Get Straw Hat outta here so he can recover and get up off his ass. Wouldn't be any fun if Doflamingo did him in when I haven't even gotten the chance to fight him yet."

Doflamingo tore up the ground nearby, signaling that he was drawing closer.

"Keep running." Killer's voice grew grim. "Neither of you are in any shape to be fighting anyone."

"Get going already." Kidd said, sending his crewmate an eerie grin as he moved slightly and used his right hand to steady Law. Kidd flexed his artificial left arm. "I can take care of myself."

"Don't let Doflamingo kill him." Killer directed to Law darkly before he turned and carried Luffy away as requested. "And don't overexert yourself, Kidd."

"Fuck off, Killer!" The red haired captain shouted after his crewmate. "I'll be fine." Kidd added in a sullen mutter, as he let go of Law once the other captain had steadied himself.

"Killer is right. Doflamingo will kill you the first chance he gets." Law murmured softly as he glanced up at Kidd. "You should go with your crew-mate."

"I ain't missing out on a fight, Trafalgar. And that bastard won't kill me if I don't let him." Kidd said in reply, his attention sharpening when he saw Doflamingo appear through some of the surrounding trees. "Repel." Kidd spat, as he hastily waved a hand and sent metal he'd been gathering at the former warlord.

"You brats are wasting my time." Doflamingo warned with a nasty grin as he lifted a hand and batted away the metal pieces flying at him with string. Doflamingo turned his head in Kidd's direction, light reflecting off the shades. "I thought being stabbed and slashed would have been enough to kill you. Or put you out of commission. I guess Law managed to not cut you as deeply as I thought he had."

Kidd bared his teeth in return, ready to launch himself at Doflamingo regardless of the consequences. The only reason he didn't was because Law chose that moment to seize his furred coat.

"Don't let him antagonize you." Law whispered harshly, his hand tightly digging into Kidd's furred coat. "He's trying to distract you."

"You're distractin' me right now, Traflagar." Kidd flung another hunk of metal Doflamingo's way, only to have the older pirate sidestep it and head right for him. Kidd cursed before he whirled around and gave Law a hefty shove in the chest to get him out of harm's way. Kidd then brought a crude metal wall in front of him, wheezing out a shaky laugh as Doflamingo hit the wall. Kidd heard Law say something, but with his concentration on the metal, the red haired captain didn't hear it. But he certainly felt Doflamingo's foot slam into his wounded chest after the blond had torn through the metal with his string.

"Shit!" Concentration shattered, the metal immediately fell to the ground as Kidd himself was flung backward from the force of Doflamingo's kick. Kidd hit the ground and rolled, coming to a rest on his back. Kidd knew he was vulnerable in this position, and tried to get upright, but he merely flopped back down, sucking in breath.

Fuck.

Doflamingo hit hard, and there was no way the older pirate wouldn't take advantage of Kidd's injured torso being in plain sight. Kidd snarled angrily when Doflamingo loomed over him, but the red haired captain made an attempt to push himself up once more in order to continue the fight, no matter how hopeless it seemed. Kidd had not expected Doflamingo to slam his foot down onto his artificial arm, near where the metal met flesh. Kidd went still briefly, before he began to struggle wildly. The red head did not at all like the way that Doflamingo looked down at him with that damn smile.

Trapped.

Shit.

"He's not very bright, is he?" Doflamingo commented causally. "I don't know what you see in him, Law."

Kidd's Devil Fruit powers flared in retaliation, but Doflamingo ground his foot into the metal in warning, which caused the red head to reluctantly stop the metal midair.

"Not too bright at all. He doesn't know that he has already lost."

Fuck.

Now that Kidd thought about it, the former warlord was in a perfect position to break the metal of his arm. Kidd did not want to have to fix his arm again, and if Doflamingo put any more pressure on the limb, Kidd wasn't going to be able to make it function correctly. But stillâ€¦if that was going to happen anyway, there was no reason to just lie there and wait for it to happen. Kidd's course of action was decided when Doflamingo spoke again.

"Stay out of my way. This is between Law and myself."

"Fuck you." Kidd snarled, powers flaring once more as the metal that had been floating in midair was sent spiraling toward Doflamingo. The red haired captain's brief triumph of cutting into Doflamingo's side was short-lived, as the older pirate merely lifted his foot up and then slammed it right back down, breaking the metal with a sickening crunch. It didn't particularly hurt, but Doflamingo damaging the metal meant it was going to be a bitch to try and make the limb move properly, if at all. Kidd bit back a yelp when Doflamingo cut through the metal, slicing it clean off and catching the edge of what remained of Kidd's limb with string, drawing blood. Having his stump nicked like that hurt just a bit more, not to mention it was humiliating. Kidd heard Doflamingo laugh, but it wasn't directed at him.

"You're a fool."

Law had apparently made a move while Doflamingo had been otherwise occupied, but it didn't seem to make much difference. Kidd used his right arm to prop himself up to see what had happened, and sucked in a sharp breath. Law was in mid-swing with his nodachi, but from the looks of it, the Surgeon of Death was only going to come out of it further wounded. And Kidd couldn't do a damn thing to stop it from happening, as he was still raggedly trying to catch his breath. But what Kidd saw happen next made him see red.

Doflamingo was dead.

_Dead_.

-x-x-x-

Law's nodachi hadn't even completed its swing before Doflamingo let out a harsh laugh at the Heart Pirate's daring and reached out with one hand.

"Why bother attacking me when you already know the outcome, Law?" Doflamingo asked curiously, as he caught the dark haired pirate by the wrist and dangled him. The former warlord squeezed Law's wrist to make the other pirate drop his blade. Law said nothing but Doflamingo was treated to a glare of absolute loathing. Doflamingo flexed his free hand as if in contemplation, before he slammed Law hard onto the ground on his back, taking the Heart Pirate Captain's breath away.

Law swore inwardly to himself, unable to move. To make it worse, Doflamingo cut his right arm deeply with string, piercing the flesh in several places with Bullet Strings. Law could all but picture the nasty smile Doflamingo wore as he laughed, but the dark haired pirate couldn't think about it any further when a large foot rammed down onto the fresh wounds on his arm. The pain drew out a breathless choke of agony.

"I asked you a question, Law." Doflamingo said coolly. "Am I going to have to teach you how to give a proper response when one of your betters asks you a question?"

Law felt that Doflamingo was going to draw things out just to torment him, so there was no point in going along with the other man's games. Drawing in a shaky breath, and preparing himself for further pain, Law gave Doflamingo the middle finger with his right hand.

"Straw Hat-ya...will defeat you." Law's voice was oddly calm for one facing the looming threat of death. "The Will of D...will always bring a storm." Law let out a sharp cry of pure agony when Doflamingo leaned his weight onto his wounded arm, allowing pressure to ride on the destroyed arm.

"You really think I place any belief in the Will of D? That Straw Hat Luffy showed up with the sole purpose of defeating me on Dressrosa as one who holds the name of D? Why even bring that up now? No..." Doflamingo laughed, as if he found the idea ludicrous. "No, he was only on that island because you were able to form an alliance with him and gain his cooperation in the matter. Not that it did you any good at the time. Still..." Doflamingo ground his foot against Law's arm, drawing forth another sharp cry, "It really is a shame that you decided to turn against me. And again on Fiesta Island. I had hoped that you would have behaved yourself, and became useful to me. And perhaps eventually used your Devil Fruit power's ultimate ability on me."

"I would die any manner of death before I would ever die for you." Law said in a flat tone. He turned his head so that he was looking up at Doflamingo, and offered a smirk. "And I brought up the Will of D...because I, too, have the name of D."

"Is that so?" Doflamingo's smile was terrifying. "Interesting how you kept that quiet, but that certainly does explain many things...and perhaps that also explains why my brother chose to help you all those years ago."

"He didn't save me for my name." Law responded immediately, because he didn't want to believe that Corazon's actions had been anything but in his best interest. But as time went on, Law had begun to wonder if Corazon _had_ saved him for the sole purpose of defeating Doflamingo. With nothing better to do, it had become a goal...an obsession, really, but now, it seemed like the decision to try and bring Doflamingo down was going to lead to his own death.

"But back to your own words, Law. That you would rather die than use your powers for me..." Veins appeared across Doflamingo's forehead as his smile grew wide. "I already assumed as much, so you will get your wish, _after_ I've killed the others."

Law's left hand twitched, the pain he was in great, but he did not at all like the expression on the older pirate's face. Suddenly, being out of range of the man was a superb idea. Law automatically tried to call on his powers, but Doflamingo noticed.

"None of that brat. You've lost, and with it, you've lost the right to choose how you will die." Doflamingo shifted his foot against Law's right arm, spreading blood along the limb. "Remember that, Law? How the weak can't choose how they will die? You've become weak, Law. Weak, and no longer as cold and calculating as you used to be. All because of that damn brother of mine, who even in death still appears to have an influence over you after all these damn years." Doflamingo's foot ground into Law's arm again. "And you had the gall to overturn my rule in Dressrosa; dared to walk around with the name 'Corazon' on your back." Doflamingo brought his foot down again, cracking bone and snarling over Law's shout of pain. "Took the name Heart for your crew, when you won't ever sit on the heart seat."

Law's mind was awash with pain, and there was nothing he could do now to prevent what Doflamingo chose to do with him. It was insulting, however, for Doflamingo to abuse his arm so, when he literally couldn't defend himself and the cracked bones lent even more suffering to his already tormented body.

"You really are a fool, Law." Doflamingo stuck his foot beneath Law's wounded arm, and flipped the Heart Pirate onto his stomach, regardless of the agony it would cause the other man. "And that is how you will die. A fool for thinking that you could ever hope to defeat me."

Law's concentration was shot as his mind filled with a blinding flash of pain from the jostling of his injuries. The sensation was so great that it nearly caused him to lose consciousness then and there. But Law pushed through the waves of pain ripping through his body, determined to not let Doflamingo gloat over his unconscious body. Movement to his right indicated that Doflamingo was approaching him, and Law sucked in a sharp breath when a large hand gripped his hair tight and yanked his head up. Law bit back a scream, as Doflamingo was being entirely careless with his wounded body. Law struggled to remain as still as possible, and because of it, could only stare at the ground beneath him, and watch droplets of blood fall, presumably from his shredded right arm. Law could unfortunately hear clearly, and withheld a shudder when Doflamingo's breath ghosted against his right ear.

"You won't die just yet. I still have to find and kill Straw Hat Luffy, and the one who carried him away. And then I will go and locate your crew." Doflamingo's voice became menacing. "But first...there's someone who will die first."

Law couldn't even cry out when Doflamingo suddenly let go of his hair, carelessly letting him hit the ground again. The pain registered in his mind after settling on the ground, and Law couldn't help but let out a low moan. The burning agony briefly fled Law's mind when he heard Doflamingo's next words.

"I think it is time for Eustass Kidd to die."

There was a breathless curse from nearby, likely from the red head himself.

"He's interfered one too many times."

Doflamingo sounded only too happy about ending Kidd's life for good, and there was literally nothing that Law could do to stop the former warlord from following through. Law clenched his jaw tight at the blond's next words, which were delivered with barely contained glee.

"An execution with bullets should do the trick." Doflamingo laughed cruelly, his voice savagely pleased, as if knowing exactly how his words would affect the Heart Pirate. "After all, a few bullets was all it took to finish off my brother. Isn't that right, Law?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter was initially about 10,000 words, give or take after some editing. I picked the best spot I could to break it into two chapters for easier editing, but unfortunately I had to choose between two different cliffhangers (I am sorry for it happening two chapters in a row-I normally try to avoid cliffhangers when able to).  
> What I'd like is to get up the next part up before I go to bed today. Going to take a break from the computer screen and show up for family holiday stuff, and then go back to editing later, as that's all that is needed for the next chapter. If it doesn't get up by the end of today, it is likely because I want to edit it a bit more to my satisfaction


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got through editing, so here's the other chapter (more Law torment ahead via Doflamingo, and some kidlaw moments).

"No..." Law didn't even realize that he had spoken, so focused was he on Doflamingo's cruel words. It hurt to have the image of Corazon, covered in blood and his body riddled with bullets, both from other pirates, and then from Doflamingo himself. The sound of a gun being cocked in present time sent a shiver through Law's body, from both memories of that terrible day, and of the not so recent past of being shot on Dressrosa. It didn't matter that the bullets weren't going to be used on him this time. It was enough to know Doflamingo's intentions, and the fact that Law could do nothing but lie there with that knowledge.

Doflamingo said he would kill Kidd.

Law didn't have any doubt in his mind that the former warlord would do it. That Doflamingo would shoot Kidd, knowing that it would be emotionally destroying for the Heart Pirate and a hurt that wouldn't fade. Just like the hurt of losing Corazon had never really faded from Law's mind.

"It really is such a shame that you couldn't be bothered to take me seriously."

Law had no strength to move his body. The Heart Pirate wanted to, badly, to do something, anything, really, to prevent Doflamingo from shooting Kidd. But Law couldn't get up from where he lie, so he couldn't get himself over to Kikoku lying some distance away from him. His body wouldn't listen to him anymore, no matter how hard the Surgeon of Death struggled to do otherwise. Law froze when he heard the gun go off several times and found it ominous that Kidd made no sound while being shot.

"Don't go anywhere, Law." Doflamingo said casually, as if he hadn't just shot a man. "Not that you can, as you are. But still...can't be too carefulâ€¦"

Law couldn't hold back an agonized scream as his body was pierced by string, presumably to keep him pinned face down on the ground. It was eerily reminiscent of when Doflamingo had pinioned him to the cabin wall of the former warlord's ship. It appeared that Doflamingo was thinking along similar lines.

"Remember the last time I did this?" One of Doflamingo's fingers tugged sharply on the string that went through Law's shoulder, ignoring the breathless gasp. "How I told you that a physical reminder goes well with a verbal reprimand to make it that more effective?" Doflamingo flicked a few more strings that pierced Law's body, drawing out soft whimpers as the string dug further into flesh. "It's too bad you don't take my lessons to heart, Law. We wouldn't be here, if you had." As an added insult, Doflamingo pierced Law's right hand through the bone.

The Heart Pirate opened his mouth, but no sound came out the pain was so great. By now, the feeling in his right arm had all but fled, leaving behind nothing but a throbbing, burning pain.

"Do not think that I won't torture you to death as soon as I am finished with those other fools. I'll make you scream and curse my name, but I won't kill you until you beg me to, and even then your death won't be easy." Doflamingo pulled on the string that had gone through Law's right hand. Doflamingo chuckled at the agonized writhing that followed, which only caused the other strings to cut into Law's flesh until the Heart Pirate went still with a sob of utter agony. "That's a bit better. It seems I might be getting through to you now. Not that you will find any mercy from me. All your chances have been used up, and my patience is at an end."

Law closed his eyes, the pain making him dizzy. He knew there were tears in his eyes from the amount of pain and humiliation Doflamingo was visiting on his limbs, and there was nothing he could do to make it stop.

"It really is too bad, Law. Had you stayed with me, instead of throwing in your lot with my brother, I could have had someone with the will of D working for me." Doflamingo laughed lowly. "And now, your time is running out. Enjoy being alive awhile longer. Fufufu." Heavy footsteps receded, indicating that the former warlord had gone off in search of Killer and Luffy.

Silence reigned, and all that Law could hear was his own labored breathing. Every small movement was painful, but another hurt crept in, one that Law couldn't deny no matter how much he wished otherwise. Tears began to fall, mainly from the shock of his pinioned limbs but also from the way that his right hand was all but losing feeling. There was a very good chance that Doflamingo had caused irreparable damage to the hand. Law breathed in and out, trying not to dwell on his hand, and instead ended up promptly remembered the gun shots fired moments before.

Kidd.

Was Kidd...?

Law briefly opened his eyes before he closed them again, after accidently making a minute movement that sent a shockwave of pain throughout his whole body via the strings that had pierced his limbs. Had Doflamingo...shot Kidd in the head? His chest? Was that why the red haired captain had made no sound? Had Doflamingo ended the other pirate's life with just those few shots? Or had he-

"Fuck."

The abrupt curse drew Law's attention, and the Surgeon of Death could hardly believe he had heard the sound at all. Hadn't Doflamingo shot Kidd?

"Motherfucker. I'll kill that bastard."

It was Kidd's voice all right, but as proof to how poor of shape Law was in, he could barely react when a shaky hand began to carefully run through his hair.

"Eustass-ya?" Law's voice was a pained whisper, not daring to try and move his head, lest he accidently dig the string into his flesh even further. "But he shot you..."

"Bastard doesn't remember my powers." Kidd grumbled as he absently ruffled Law's hair. As if Kidd was reassuring himself that Law was still breathing. "I used some metal to deflect the bullets." The red haired captain bit out a few grumbling curses before sighing, "The bullets still went in a bit, but it was better than nothing, I guess."

Law wanted to say more, but was in too much agony to do so. Kidd was alive, and he supposed that was enough for now. He could barely form any thoughts at all, due the string and the way each strand pierced his flesh.

"That damn asshole." Kidd apparently noticed Law's predicament.

"Don't touch them. Hurts." Law breathed out, and heard Kidd curse as he accidently did so, "Don't do it...again. Joker-ya will...notice."

"Well, don't just lie there and take it, Trafalgar. Use your power and get away from it."

"I can't focus." Law let out a soft sigh. "And there's nothing to use to...change positions. Doubt you'd...want to take my place." Law quieted when he felt Kidd's hand move away from where it had gone back to his hair. "Eustass-ya?" No response. Law painfully turned his head to the side, gingerly resting it right back on the ground. He saw Kidd sit near him, and hold up a rock in his hand. Law realized that the only thing that remained of Kidd's left arm was a stump, the metal limb nowhere to be seen. Law's vision wavered as he attempted to take in Kidd's words.

"Will this work?" Kidd asked, brandishing the rock.

"It should." Law closed his eyes. "Set it on the ground near me."

Kidd settled on his ass instead and helpfully placed the rock on his right thigh.

"That isn't the ground, Eustass-ya."

"I bet you can't get over here." Kidd said with a weary grin. "And if you can, well, being on top of me and being held up would be better than bein' on the ground again, right?"

"It would aggravate my wounds and your own." Law said softly.

"So you can't do it, is what you're saying." Kidd teased, pleased with himself for some reason or another. "So, once this shit is over with, you're gonna come to my ship so we can settle things between us."

"What?" Law gained some life to him as he half-scowled at the grinning red head. "I haven't even tried anything yet."

"You're going to do it then?" Kidd feigned surprise. "I thought you saying that it would bother our wounds meant you couldn't do it."

"That wasn't what I meant." Law issued a sigh. The red haired captain could be very trying, and attempting to deal with him while wounded wasn't precisely fun.

"Then do it. Use your powers. I'm not going anywhere." Kidd watched Law with a careful eye. "Just actually land upright, yeah?"

"I'll see what I can do." Law closed his eyes as he let out a breath before he made an attempt to concentrate through the pain he was in. "...Room." Law uttered in a near-whisper. The sphere surrounded Law, but fell short of Kidd.

"I'll make sure to boot my crew off the ship while we settle things." Kidd commented, wearing a tired yet smug expression. "It'll get pretty noisy when we get down to the negotiations and all that shit. Hell, figuring stuff out might even take a couple of days, so I hope you don't have plans to be anywhere."

"Thought you had a rendezvous to make?" Law ground his teeth and pushed himself, the room wavering down to his hand.

"Apoo and Hawkins are already waitin', so a bit more time ain't gonna make a difference." Kidd responded, before he tapped the rock, watching Law's room remain around his hand. Kidd snorted, and, despite the fact that he actually sounded worried, spoke gruffly. "That the best you can do, Trafalgar?"

"Fuck you." Law hissed out. "You don't have your body impaled."

"That's kinda in the plans for working things out between us." Kidd said with a grin, poking the rock on his thigh absently. A lusty look appeared in those amber eyes as Kidd's sight settled on Law. "And it's too bad I couldn't impale you in a different way earlier before things went to shit. But you really did need to be able to run..."

"You are unbelievable." Law groaned, before he clenched his left fist, and willed his powers to flare to life again, and succeeded in expanding the room to go around Kidd as well. Law weakly twisted his fingers, and swapped places with the rock. Before Law knew it, he was straddling Kidd's thigh, and the red head's right arm was around him back to keep him remain upright. Law shifted with a drawn face, before he gave in and carefully rested against Kidd's wounded chest with a sigh.

"You're an idiot." Law murmured at length. "Do try to keep me from putting any unnecessary pressure against your collarbone."

Kidd was silent, which seemed unusual, as he had just been responding to every little thing the Heart Pirate had been saying before. Law had expected some crack, so he let his head move to rest on Kidd's shoulder in order to look up at the red head's face. Law was startled to find Kidd staring down at him with an unreadable expression. Since Law wasn't sure what to make of it, he chose to address Kidd's earlier words.

"It appears as though I won your bet, which would put you on my ship." Law couldn't help but let his lips twitch into a smile over the thought that Penguin and the rest of his crewmates wouldn't appreciate the red haired captain on the ship.

"If we make it out, I can drive your crew-mates outta the ship by fucking you. Maybe against a wall, 'cause that would make them scatter faster." Kidd offered a hint of a grin, before it slipped away and the red head resumed staring at Law as if trying to read his mind.

"What is it?" Law questioned, unable to stand being stared at in such a way. The unmistakable concern bothered him for some reason, as if Law didn't think the other captain had it in him to feel concern, and especially not for Law. The dark haired pirate sagged against Kidd, and supposed, from all of the red haired captain's actions since Law had run into Kidd again, that Law didn't have a right to say anything about it. If Kidd wanted to worry about him, Law would let him, even if it seemed a completely foreign concept.

Kidd looked away briefly as he muttered something under his breath, a faint tinge of a blush rising on his cheeks as he said it.

"Eustass-ya?" Law blinked, unable to make out the quiet words. Though from the blush that had made its way on the pale skin, Law felt he could hazard a guess. There wasn't really much that could faze the younger captain. "What did you say?"

"I said that you sure picked a strange time to say that...that you loved me." Kidd said gruffly, this time a little louder, though he couldn't look Law in the eyes as he said it.

"I don't know what you mean." Law said softly, guarded even as he turned over his words that he had said to Kidd earlier. Law closed his eyes when Kidd's right arm tightened around his lower back and held him closer, though it was clear the other captain was being heedful of Law's bleeding right arm. Law stilled further when Kidd leaned over and rested his head on Law's left shoulder, letting out a heavy sigh before he spoke in a flat tone.

"Really? 'Cause I know you said it. Something to the effect of you not wanting to lose someone you love again?"

Law realized that he had said that, and to his surprise, doesn't even have to say anything, because Kidd's voice dropped lower, a hint of confusion in his voice, like he wasn't even sure of himself.

"I think I love you."

"I know that." Law said bluntly. "Why else would you do all the things you've done for me?"

"You knew?" Kidd sounded suspicious, but he didn't move his head from Law's shoulder. "You didn't say anything."

"You said it yourself before. Though I don't think you realized it at the time, as distracted as you were." Law held still as Kidd breathed against his nearest ear.

"I did?" Kidd's face scrunched up as he tried and failed to recall ever saying anything remotely sounding like 'love'.

"I believe the phrase 'love you too' were your exact words, when you were kicking around in that cell when I'd swapped you into Penguin's body. I was honestly too stunned at the time to say anything about it, so I decided to ignore it for the time being." Law settled against Kidd heavily. "I think I was lying to myself for a time, so that I wouldn't have to face the fact that I have grown...fond of you." Law sighed. "Doflamingo forcing me to attack you solidified it."

"I did not say that." Kidd was pretty sure he wouldn't have said such a word so flippantly, before he snorted at Law's other words. "Fond. Sure." Kidd went completely still when Law let out a faint sound. "Arm?" Kidd asked, carefully loosening his hold as he lifted his head off of Law's shoulder to look down at him.

Law merely gave a faint, barely discernable nod.

"Well, at least it is still attached." Kidd said as he tested the limb by poking it lightly here and there, which drew a hiss of pain from Law. "And you still have feeling in it too."

"Despite cracked bone." Law fell silent momentarily, before he spoke again, albeit a bit shakily, "We need to get out of here." Law reached up with his left hand to halt Kidd's own. "We need to go, before Doflamingo realizes that I'm no longer restrained."

"You know, Law, you seem to have a very bad habit of freeing yourself when I am trying to punish you." Doflamingo's voice sounded directly behind the two captains, the fury in his voice clear.

Law shoved his weight against Kidd at Doflamingo's words, causing the wounded red head to fall over with a curse. But it saved the both of them from being hit by Doflamingo, who tore apart the trees behind them.

Law didn't think that much time had passed, and the older blond, when Law glanced over his shoulder, looked highly irate. Doflamingo had obviously not found Killer or Straw Hat. And since Doflamingo knew that Law had presumably been unable to go anywhere, likely came back to finish him off. Law's thoughts were brushed aside in favor of a burning agony as Doflamingo reached over and seized him by his wounded arm, drawing out a tortured cry.

"Trafalgar!" Kidd was halfway to getting to his feet when Doflamingo kicked him, sending Kidd backward into another tree. Before Kidd could recover, Doflamingo kicked him again, the force enough to break the tree. Kidd fell limply to the ground, where he curled on his left side, gasping for breath.

"I told you not to interfere, brat."

Satisfied that Kidd would not rise any time soon, Doflamingo dangled Law in front of him, and gave him a shake when it seemed that the Surgeon of Death had passed out from the pain. Doflamingo wore a savage grin of pleasure at the moans issuing from Law.

"Stop." Law's voice was all but gone, thick from agony. "Stop."

"Why stop? I'm going to kill you anyway, so causing you as much pain as possible should suffice as a lesson before you die. A lesson of why you should have never gotten on my bad side." Doflamingo squeezed the wrist tightly, which drew out a sob from Law. The Heart Pirate was clearly in too much pain to control himself and keep as silent as possible. Doflamingo struck the limb point blank with a few Bullet Strings, before he was content to wait until all the fight drained out of Law.

Law tried to free his did. He really did try. Desperately, but it didn't seem to matter. Doflamingo's grip was punishing, and any manner of resistance merely added to the unending pain that continued to flare throughout his abused limb. Law made a few frantic motions born of pure desperation in a last ditch effort to free his hand from Doflamingo's hold, but the Heart Pirate was losing too much blood, and being briefly pinioned earlier had left his left arm weak as well. The moment Law's left hand lost its frantic scrabbling against Doflamingo's hand, the dark haired pirate let all motion cease. Law went limp, his body too worn out to do much more than let Doflamingo do as he would. Another rough shake drew out hoarse sobs and whimpers from Law, the continued pull on his arm too much. Law was too far gone to hold back the tears, so as to not allow Doflamingo any satisfaction to know that he was hurting him.

"I wanted you to be my right-hand man, Law, before you left with Corazon. You would have done so well, but you betrayed me." Doflamingo held Law aloft, so that the other pirate's right arm was in line with his eyes behind the shades. "All those lessons from my family. Lessons that would have served you well had you taken the heart seat." Doflamingo's smile stretched, obviously noting the tears. "Does it hurt, Law? I can change that." Doflamingo grinned. "Fufufu. I can make it worse." With one savage sweep of his hand, Law's arm was severed, leaving behind a short, bloody stump.

Law hit the ground with a soundless scream.

"That should keep any ideas of moving from that spot at bay." Doflamingo ignored Law writhing around on the ground as he turned in the direction of where Kidd lie on his side, still gasping and struggling to regain his breath. Doflamingo briefly looked over his shoulder at Law. "I'm surprised those bullets didn't kill him." Movement brought Doflamingo's attention back to the red haired captain, as he spotted Kidd propping himself up with his right arm, an angry glare fixed on the former blond haired warlord. "What? He was going to lose the arm anyway, so I merely did him a favor. Besides, he's going to die soon anyway, as will you." Doflamingo raised his hand. "I'll just have to cut you to ribbons, since the gun didn't seem to do the trick."

Law was barely conscious at this point, but he'd been able to use his powers to tie a scrap of cloth around his stump of a right arm. It was sloppy, and Law knew that he was losing even more blood than before. The Surgeon of Death saw the danger, saw that Kidd would not be able to get out of range, and made one last effort with his powers. It was the only thing left that he could think to do, and he did it without a second thought. Law blindly swapped places with Kidd as Doflamingo's strings fell. The Heart Pirate felt only the initial bite of the strings digging into his flesh before he knew no more.

-x-x-x-

Kidd realized what Law had done when the anticipated fall of the strings did not strike him. Instead, there was a snarl of frustration. Kidd lifted his head in time to see Law's body go limp on the ground, where Kidd's had been moments before. Doflamingo was beside himself with fury, flexing his hand before he dropped it to his side and his lips stretched into a terrifying smile.

"If you're so eager to die, Law, then I will oblige you this one time." Doflamingo lifted a foot. "Even you can't recover from a smashed skull!"

Kidd felt himself go cold at that, unable to get his body to cooperate. The most he could do was keep himself propped up and watch as Doflamingo made to stomp down on Law's unmoving form. Things Kidd realized he wanted to say to Law sprang unbidden in his mind, but Kidd couldn't move. It wasn't fear that kept him in place, but pure exhaustion.

He couldn't move. Couldn't concentrate enough to draw on his powers, to try and distract Doflamingo. The red haired captain could barely make a piece of metal twitch on the ground, let along rise and strike the former warlord. Kidd wasn't able to move, which meant he could only watch helplessly as Doflamingo's foot neared Law's head.

A blurred shape came out of the surrounding trees and landed next to Law, a smaller sandaled foot shooting out to block Doflamingo's larger one from making contact with Law's head.

Kidd didn't realize he'd slumped in relief. Straw Hat had recovered his haki just in time.

"Law's fate is sealed." Doflamingo said coldly, not at all surprised by Luffy's appearance.

"I told you before that you can't hurt him anymore." Luffy told Doflamingo.

Kidd could see that Straw Hat was glaring at the warlord and the look reminded Kidd of when he'd first caught sight of Luffy, and the way he'd walloped that Celestial Dragon. If that look was any indication, Luffy was ready to beat the shit out of Doflamingo and put him down into the ground if need be. Kidd grinned. That he had to see, so he wasn't going to pass out any time soon. Not until the battle was over with. As much as Kidd hated to admit it, he wouldn't be able to be the one to deliver the final blow. But at the very least he'd gotten some hits in, and that would have to be good enough.

"Ah, Tra-guy! What happened to your arm?" Apparently Luffy was so focused on the idea of kicking Doflamingo's ass and defending Law from further injury that he hadn't noticed the Heart Pirate's newest wound.

"He won't need that arm anymore." Doflamingo smiled sharply at Luffy as he lifted his foot away. "Besides, I'm not going to hurt him."

"You already did." Luffy made a face. "Are you an idiot?"

Kidd smothered a laugh at the peculiar look that crossed Doflamingo's face, before he torn up the ground with some string.

"I did already hurt him." Doflamingo agreed a nasty grin, calming almost immediately. "I'm just going to be _killing_ him now." With that, Doflamingo's foot flashed down toward Law's head once more.

"I won't let you!" Luffy bowled into the older pirate, armament haki in effect as it clashed with Doflamingo's as the black haired teen struck Doflamingo's foot with his own.

"Out of my way, brat!" Doflamingo spat, as he sent several Bullet String Law's way. "Law isn't leaving this island alive!" The former warlord snarled when Luffy was suddenly right in front of him again, and blocked the strings that had been aimed at Law. Doflamingo found himself driven backward by Luffy, further and further away from the unmoving Heart Pirate.

Luffy perked up at something before he unexpectedly threw himself at Doflamingo and wrapped his rubbery arms around the older pirate's arms, drawing them behind his back. Doflamingo tried to throw Luffy off, not too sure what to make of Straw Hat exposing his chest, but Luffy clung to him determinedly, and despite taking Bullet Strings, yelled as loudly as he could.

"Now Tra-guy!"

"Law isn't going anywhere, Straw Hat Luffy." Doflamingo began, only to take a step back when Kidd launched a metal piece into the air with a frustrated, pained shout, the metal rising above Doflamingo. The reason soon became apparent when Law's room suddenly activated. Doflamingo furrowed his brow. He could have sworn Law had been immobilized and-

Law appeared in place of the metal, his eyes clear yet pained, brow furrowed, and holding a blade of blue light in his left hand. Law swung the blade of light and struck it deep into Doflamingo's chest, gasping out, "Gamma Knife."

Doflamingo coughed out blood and Law, after holding the blade of light in Doflamingo's chest a few moments longer, dropped away and collapsed to the ground with a wheeze of "Straw Hat."

Luffy promptly let go of Doflamingo's arms and kicked him in the back, sending the former warlord backward and onto the ground, where he rolled along until he came to a rest. Luffy glanced down at Law, as if wondering if his fellow captain wanted to land the finishing blow. It was also clear that Luffy was concerned for his friend.

"I can't...do anymore." Law offered a faint smirk as he closed his eyes and gave a jerk of his head. "But that attack...should slow him down..." Law went quiet, his breathing becoming labored.

"I'll kick his ass." Luffy promised from somewhere overhead. "And then we'll all leave this island."

"I hadn't any idea you had such a nasty surprise up your sleeve, Law." Doflamingo laughed from where he was on the ground, and, after a few moments, coughed. Doflamingo was silent for a few moments longer, before he rose, hand to his chest. "I've repaired my organs, but I can't heal them, exactly." The older pirate's shaded gaze fixed on Luffy, and began to move with purpose toward him.

Luffy, in the meantime, looked ready to continue their brawl, as he suddenly activated Gear Four once more. Luffy launched himself into the air, which drew Doflamingo after him.

"Kidd!" Killer emerged from the surrounding trees, but before he could reach his captain, Kidd called out to him in return.

"How's Law?"

Killer paused mid-step, and appeared to consider ignoring his captain's words, before he merely shook his head and went over to check on Law.

Kidd didn't have to wait long, as Killer actually brought Law over, and laid the wounded Heart Pirate captain on his side.

"I figured you needed to see him for yourself." Killer commented.

Law's stump of a right arm twitched, and he groaned, before going still and quiet.

Kidd dragged himself close, and cautiously prodded the other captain in the head.

"Don't...do that..." Law said hoarsely, "...idiot."

"Who's the real idiot?" Kidd muttered, as he ran a hand through Law's hair instead. "Doing something so reckless."

"Didn't want your crewmate...to kill me if...I got you killed." Law slurred, before he coughed, winced and then went still with a sigh.

"Oy, Killer, help me up. I wanna see Doflamingo get his ass handed to him."

"You really ought to rest." Killer shook his head again, even as he helped Kidd up and helped the red haired pirate lean against a broad tree.

"I am resting." Kidd sagged back against the tree and grinned up at his crew-mate. "See? I'm resting against the tree and not movin'."

"You should be in a hospital, Kidd."

"I'd just get arrested, so let's stick to you and the rest of the crew tryin' to figure out how to piece me back together." Kidd's grin faded as he glanced in Law's direction. "Guess he needs to be pieced together more than me." Kidd was silent a moment, before he motioned to the Heart Pirate with his right hand. "Hey, Killer, bring Trafalgar over here. He needs to see the fight too."

Killer, with obvious reluctance, went over to Law and stooped down. His hand stopped short when Law issued a low sigh and soft words.

"Leave me be. I will not be able to keep myself upright." Law winced and let out a pitiful moan when Killer lifted him off of the ground anyway, and Law went limp, doing his best not to move. "Eustass-ya can do without my company for a time. I need to rest."

"You can rest with me, Trafalgar." Kidd was starting to feel a bit loopy from the pain. "Tree's not going anywhere."

"You're both idiots." Killer said with a sigh as he settled Law against Kidd's right side.

"Shut up, Killer, and help get my arm over his shoulders." Kidd grumbled. "I can hold him up if he starts to fall over."

"What about your wounds?" Killer asked, indicating Kidd's collarbone.

"I can deal with a bit more pain."

Killer hesitated, before he did as asked, and this time, Law didn't make a whisper of protest, and merely seemed to lean against Kidd heavily, as if resigned, once the red haired captain's arm was over his shoulders.

"They're really ramping things up." Killer commented of the fight going on in the air above them all. "It's going to come down to whether or not Straw Hat can hit Doflamingo hard enough to end things." The blond haired Kidd pirate kept his weapons at the ready nonetheless.

"Apoo and Hawkins are going to give me shit for being late to the rendezvous point." Kidd muttered, falling quiet as he felt Law sag against his side, and heard labored breathing no better than his own. Kidd turned his head so that his breath fell on Law's head, as his mind switched trajectory. "Hey, Trafalgar. Did you mean it? What you said?"

"Wasn't...a lie." Law seemed to know what Kidd was talking about. "Don't need to loseâ€¦anyone else." Law's left hand reached up to rest on Kidd's before he grasped it.

"That's not an answer." Kidd could sense Law's hand grow weaker, and gripped it with his own. "Don't you fucking die, Trafalgar. You wanna watch that bastard eat dust, don't you?"

Law made a noncommittal sound, but Kidd would take it as agreement. The red haired captain held tight to Law's hand, and raised his head to watch the fight in the sky unfold.

-x-x-x-

Law could barely take in any breath without his body taking offense. His right stump spasmed now and again, as if not fully realizing that the rest of the arm was no longer there. Everything was on fire, and Law found that he had trouble keeping his eyes open. Kidd's grip on his hand felt like the only thing anchoring him to the land of the living, and if he let go, Law would fall into darkness, and likely never wake up. The way the red haired captain held his hand was bordering on painful, but it let Law know he was alive. Alive, after Doflamingo had abused him for so long, tearing into his flesh with his Devil Fruit powers.

"Stay awake." Kidd muttered from overhead, and Law felt the younger captain rest his chin on top of his head. Law struggled to remain conscious, and weakly twitched his hand within Kidd's grasp to let the other captain know he was awake.

For now.

Because Kidd was right.

Law wanted to see. He wanted to watch. The Heart Pirate captain had gotten Luffy and the other Straw Hats involved in the disaster that was Dressrosa, and then his own crew and Kidd as well, so it was only fitting that he saw the outcome. But Law's vision was becoming blurred, the sounds around him dimming. The slashes across his back from Doflamingo's strings ached terribly, and Law twitched again, unable to prevent his whole body from shuddering as a lance of pain shot through him. It only caused him more pain, and he leaned against Kidd further, drawing a gasp from the younger captain. Law tried to move, but Kidd squeezed his hand again and whispered a single word.

"M'fine."

Law highly doubted he hadn't caused the red haired captain pain by jostling his wounds by moving around, but Law was so exhausted that he would take the younger captain's assurance that it was fine for him to lie limp against him.

"Check it out, Trafalgar. Straw Hat just smashed Doflamingo into the ground again."

Law closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath as he turned and leaned against Kidd further. Unfortunately, the small movement caused Law to utter a soft cry of pain, as the minute movement had caused the slashes across his back to brush against Kidd's arm over his shoulders.

"Shit. Hold still." Kidd adjusted where Law lie against him, but the damage had already been done, leaving Kidd with a barely conscious Law. "You're a pretty...stubborn bastard. Arm cut off, back torn up, and you're still conscious." Kidd sounded proud of his fellow captain for this accomplishment. "Be even better if you stay awake long enough for Doflamingo to eat dirt."

Law knew that Kidd was trying to keep him awake, and it was working, for now. How long Law would last before the pain overwhelmed him and sent him into unconsciousness, he wasn't sure, nor was Law entirely sure he would survive his wounds. His injuries were far greater than they had been back on Dressrosa. But, as the Heart Pirate struggled to focus on the battle overhead, Law knew one thing was certain.

He'd be damned if he died when there was a slim chance that Doflamingo would be defeated. So Law kept his blurring gaze on the battle in the sky, and held as tight as his failing strength allowed to Kidd's hand, and felt the red haired captain hold his hand firmly in return. As Law watched the attacks being traded overhead, the Heart Pirate realized in that moment that allying himself with Straw Hat could be what saved Kidd and himself from a messy death.

**Author's Note:**

> Just another FYI at the fact that there could be ooc mixed in with IC stuff for the sole reason that this is not a modern AU where I tend to have more leeway.


End file.
